


Fun and Games

by thelinksthatconnectus (orphan_account)



Category: Coraline (2009), Gravity Falls, ParaNorman (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Bechdel Test Pass, Dark Character, F/F, M/M, Mystery Kids, Obsession
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-27
Updated: 2015-06-11
Packaged: 2018-02-27 05:45:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 27,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2681351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/thelinksthatconnectus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mabel Pines has everything. A family who loves her, a great girlfriend, and lots of friends. When Dipper tries to find her a great gift, he ends up getting more than he bargained for at a game store run by a peculiar blond haired man. What he doesn't realize is that this blond wants to play a game of his own. </p><p>When Dipper, Mabel, and their friends get dragged into it, everyone becomes in danger. The prize, however, is simple: If they win, Dipper gets to go home. If they lose, Dipper belongs to Bill.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I want to make note of a few things:
> 
> Dipper and Mabel still had their adventures in Gravity Falls but never met Bill (so no Dreamscapers or Sock Opera incidents).
> 
> This was based off of The Forbidden Game book series by L.J. Smith. No knowledge of the book is needed (though it is a great series that I highly recommend). This fic will not be 100% like the book series though.
> 
> I will try to update weekly.

Bill didn't consider himself human, no matter how he looked. Though he had human like features, from his sharp, angular face to his pointy nose, and the meat sack he transversed Earth in was shaped like a human's, he was not. Nothing was ever quite what it seemed, and Bill was included in that.

Absently, he looked over himself in the mirror. His hair, too neon yellow to be called blond, was messy and spiky. Part of it came down to cover the empty space where one of his eyes should have been (or at least where it should have been had he been human). He raked his fingers through it, struggling to make it look at least halfway decent.

Things, after all, were about to change, and he had to look nice when that happened.

-

Mabel Pines felt like a volcano ready to erupt. Instead of pouring over lava, however, she would erupt with brightly colored confetti and a screech of "Happy birthday, Dipper!"

"Calm yourself," Pacifica said. She placed a hand on Mabel's shoulder and began to run her fingers through her lengthy, soft brown hair. "Dipper's going to come home. You don't want to lose all your excitement now, do you?"

Mabel sighed. "It would stink if he came home and found all the confetti already thrown on the floor." Her pointed purple party hat fell slightly. With gentle, familiar fingers, Pacifica put it back in its place. With the way the two worked so naturally together, it was hard to believe that the two girls had hated each others' guts. Now, Mabel couldn't imagine life without her.

"I know what you mean."

Mabel turned her eyes up, meeting Pacifica's gaze. The blond had a wide smile on her face.

"You should consider yourself lucky," Pacifica said with a smile. "For once Dipper isn't trying to throw you a surprise party at the same time for you."

Mabel grinned. She had made Pacifica her spy over the last few months, trying to find out if Dipper was trying to throw Mabel a surprise party. Pacifica had chatted with Dipper in class, texted him, and hung out with him. In all that time, she had found no proof that Dipper was going to try and attempt his annual surprise party for his sister. It had been a case of espionage worthy of any classic, black and white spy flick. Unless Dipper had managed to keep things so heavily under wraps that even Pacifica couldn't find it, then Mabel was going to be the only twin attempting a surprise party that year for their seventeenth birthday.

"You should feel lucky too." Mabel sniffed the air. "You're invited too."

"Does that mean I get to try your legendary cupcakes?" Pacifica sniffed the air as well and hummed. "From what your great uncle has told me, those things are to die for."

Mabel chuckled. "I wouldn't go that far."

"Oh, there's no need to act modest about it. If I were you, I would be proud."

"As if." Mabel giggled. "Your family is loaded. You could probably hire the most famous cupcake baker in the world."

"I could!" Pacifica's eyes lit up and her smile wisened. She pulled her leather wallet from a pocket in her purse. "So what are your prices?"

Mabel's laugh echoed throughout the living room. Placing the confetti down, she pointed to the kitchen. "We'll have to discuss prices later. For now, I want to get the cupcakes out of the oven to give them some time to cool. After that, I might need some help frosting them. Would you be okay with that?"

"For the greatest cupcake baker in the world," Pacifica said in a faux snobby voice (with a joking tone that she never would have used years before, before she had learned to let go and live a little), "that would be an honor."

The warm, small kitchen was filled with food. From the plastic bowls filled to the brim with candy, chips, and overly buttered popcorn, to the ice cream and popsicles in the freezer, Dipper's party was going to be packed with food. Had Mabel had the time, she would have whipped up a cherry pie or two. Oh well, her brother and their friends probably already had enough food to gorge themselves on already.

As if waiting on the girls, the kitchen timer binged when the two entered the room. Mabel ran over to the oven and pulled it open, letting heat pour through the room before grabbing some kitchen gloves and pulling the freshly baked cupcakes out.

"Now remember, Pacifica," Mabel said. "We need to give these cupcakes some time to cool."

"Good," Pacifica replied, turning towards the kitchen door.

Mabel raised an eyebrow. Where had all of Pacifica's earlier enthusiasm gone to?

"Wait here," Pacifica said, and was out of the kitchen before Mabel even had time to respond.

With a shrug, she placed the tray of cupcakes on top of the stove and closed the oven door. As nice as the heat was on that cool autumn night, it made her sweat in her bright pink sweater.

A few moments later, the sound of Pacifica's shoes tapping against The Mystery Shack's wooden floor could be heard. Then, warm arms wrapped around Mabel's side and lips tickled the back of her neck.

"Happy birthday, Mabel," Pacifica said. Fingers brushed against Mabel's skin and something else came around her neck. It felt cold and slightly heavy, and its touch didn't suddenly vanish.

Mabel gasped. "Pacifica, did you make this?" She held the necklace up. Though the supplies it was made of looked rather fancy (and looked like it was made out of everything but craft store stuff), the slightly messy quality of it made it appear handmade. Mabel held the necklace up, looking over the pieces. The interlinking chain shone under the kitchen's lights, sparkling with a deep golden color. In bejeweled letters, her name was spelled out. At the end, right after the "l" in her name, there was a sparkling heart.

"I may have hired someone to help me out a little," Pacifica said, tightening the squeeze on Mabel's slightly chubby waist, "but I did make it myself."

Mabel turned around, giving Pacifica a tight hug of her own. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! This is the best birthday gift ever!"

Pacifica laughed, and returned the hug. "Well, I guess that made the burns from using the hot glue gun worth it." She leaned forward and kissed Mabel. It was far from their first kiss, and judging by the way that their relationship was going it wouldn't be their last, but it still felt magical. It was as if gravity itself had been turned off, and for a moment the two were floating together, entangled in the air. Happiness ran through Mabel, a happiness so deep that she could feel it in her toes and at the tips of her fingers.

The two pulled away for a moment. Pacifica was grinning and Mabel still didn't quite feel like her feet were on the ground.

"Best birthday ever," Mabel said.

-

Dipper Pines sometimes couldn't help but think that he was the unluckiest boy on earth. He wouldn't say that if he weren't exaggerating. Not only had he managed to go through half of the day completely oblivious to the fact that it was his birthday (and thus also his sister's), but he had also managed to get his sneakers sobbing wet from running in a puddle and nearly gotten scratched by a stray black cat. It was like his life was a terrible sitcom that never ended. With the way the terrible day had started, the seventeenth season was probably going to go even further downhill than the last.

"You had to get lost," Dipper muttered to himself. His hands were bunched tightly in his pockets. As he spoke, his breath fogged. Though it had been a warm day, feeling more like early June than late September, the temperature had cooled considerably when the sun went down. A shiver ran up his spine, sending goosebumps up his arms and down the back of his neck.

Though he and his sister had lived in the small town of Gravity Falls since they were twelve, he didn't recognize this part of town. Had the town not already been so strange then he would have been tense, even afraid. Instead, Dipper was frustrated with a capital "F". What kind of a guy forgot about his own sister's birthday?

Dipper apparently.

He had ended up spending half the day looking for a present for Mabel. Once school had ended, he had gotten on his bike and driven to every store he could think of. When that had failed, he had dropped his bike and heavy backpack at home before racing into the forest to look for something mysterious. That little adventure had proven fruitless, and a Dipper had simply left with scratches from stray tree branches and mud covered shoes.

He hadn't even managed to get out of the right side of the forest. Instead, he had ended up in this dark side of town. The street lamps were dim, the road was worn with pot holes and most of the buildings looked to be abandoned and forgotten, and the sidewalk was heavily cracked. With his luck, he would probably get a call from his father saying that their mother was in the hospital with a broken back and he and Mabel had to rush down to California right away.

Dipper's eyes scanned the place, looking around. His legs ached from their constant use and his teeth were beginning to chatter. This looked like a part of Gravity Falls that had simply been forgotten. Considering no other store had something that seemed like the right gift for Mabel, why would this place have anything? It didn't even have anything open. He doubted that his sister wanted an old and dusty closed sign. He considered heading to town and just picking up a gift card; it would be as good of a present as any.

That was when his eyes saw the light. For a few moments, he blinked at it, unsure of what he was seeing. Once his vision cleared, he began to walk towards the small brick building at the end of the road with dimly lit windows.

The closer that Dipper got, the more that he saw. A hanging sign read "All Fun and Games" in carved wooden letters. There was a mural painted on the brick wall, though the paint was slightly faded. It showed a group of happy children, probably less than ten or eleven years old, playing board games. There was an almost creepy look to them, like those overly enthusiastic kids in fifties ads. In the middle of the mural was a door. The metallic feel of the faded brass handle felt a bit strange, almost as if Dipper had expected it to be painted as well. But it was solid, and opened up to a small shop.

There wasn't much to see. Other than a few tables and chairs set up in the center of the room and a few shelves around the walls, the place was empty. The cash register in the back looked faded. Board games sat on top of the tables, with pieces stuck on random spots, as if the players had left the board in the middle of playing.

From hidden speakers, slow music played throughout the room. The carpet was a bland grey color, like the kind in schools, and the walls were a light tan color. Though the place seemed clean and simple enough, lacking the dust and wear that the other buildings on the block had shown, a feeling of something old hung thick in the air. Dipper was sure that he was imagining it, of course. The place had to be new or eventually Mabel would have dragged him over. After all, she loved games.

Dipper's eyes widened, taking in the room surrounding him. Why hadn't he thought of it sooner? A game, or games considering how much Mabel loved them, would make a great gift. Oh, he could see her face lighting up already. He rushed over to a shelf and began to look the store's wares. The games looked to be from all over the world, everywhere from China to Brazil to Germany to the United States. Some were new, with brightly colored boxes, while some games looked to be ancient. Dipper picked up a Monopoly box. Though the box's colors were faded, it was in such great condition. It had to be in mint condition, and looked to be at least fifty years old (if not far older). The price tag was even more shocking, with it being a mere fifteen dollars.

You lucked out, Dipper. Dipper grinned at his thought. For once, things were starting to look up. It was as if the day was trying to make up for how terrible it had been earlier.

He looked over other shelves, taking whatever he thought Mabel would like. Rather than getting her one big, expensive gift like he had originally planned, he could get get her a bunch of gifts. Surely that would make her smile.

By the time he had found his fourth game, his arms were loaded.

"Need a little help with that?"

"Huh?" Dipper turned around, meeting eyes with a blond haired worker looking to be about his age. His eye was a deep brown, with a few flecks of gold in them. His hair covered his other. He was taller than Dipper by a few inches and slightly muscular. For a moment, Dipper couldn't help but run his eyes over him.

"Sorry to surprise you," the guy said. He was dressed in a black polo and khaki shorts. A name tag read "Bill C." on it. "I just noticed that you were carrying around a lot."

"Oh, some help would be great." Dipper smiled. "I was about to carry this to the cash register to pay."

"How wonderful!" With little effort, he took the games from Dipper's hands and walked over to the cash register. "So are these for you or are they gifts for someone else?"

"They're for my sister." Dipper tended to be on the introverted side. However, there was something about this guy that made Dipper feel a little more chatty than usual. "It's her birthday today."

"How wonderful!" He smiled. "Tell her I said happy birthday."

Dipper nodded. "Of course." He almost wanted to turn silent, to pull out his cell phone and see if his friends or sister had texted him anything. Instead, he spoke on. "It's actually my birthday today too."

The worker raised an eyebrow. "Now how would that be?"

"It's a twin thing."

"How delightful!" Bill winked with his one visible eye. "And a happy birthday to you!"

Dipper felt his cheeks go hot. "Thank you."

"Would you like these gift wrapped? It's free of charge."

"That would be great! Thank you so much!"

Bill smiled back. "It's nothing. Now who am I making this gift out to?"

"Mabel," Dipper replied.

He picked up the games and turned into a back room. The door shut with a bang behind him. He came back less than a minute with the boxes in hand, all neatly wrapped in different colored and patterned wrapping paper.

That was fast, Dipper thought. Like magic or something.

This time, there was an extra box. It was plain white and not wrapped.

"What's that?" Dipper asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just a little gift, free of charge." Bill winked again. "Just my own little present for the birthday boy."

Dipper's cheeks went red again. "Thank you so much."

"For you," he replied, "anything. Anything in the world." His eye looked intensely at Dipper for a moment, as if he was trying to take everything that he possibly could in about him. He then placed the boxes in a large plastic bag and handed them over to Dipper. "I hope that you and your sister have a splendid birthday."

"Thank you," Dipper said.

"Have a nice night," Bill replied before waving goodbye. Dipper gave him a quick wave back before leaving.

It was only when Dipper was outside that he realized that he hadn't paid. He turned to open the door, but found it locked. After knocking a few times with no answer, he turned and left. Frankly, he was getting quite sick of those kids' painted faces looking at him.

Once he had walked a good deal away, he pulled the plastic bag open. His hand was drawn towards the white box, so blank and yet looking like it could hold so much. It was Dipper's birthday present, an unwrapped box that held a mystery all its own.

Instead of opening it, however, he looked to Mabel's gifts. They were beautifully wrapped, far from the messy work that Dipper would have done had he wrapped it himself. There was a reason that birthday gifts usually came in gift bags. He looked over the name tags for a moment. In looping script, the words "To: Mabel, With love from: Dipper" were written.

He froze. For a moment, Dipper searched his mind, but always came to the same result.

He was sure that he had never told the worker his name.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper is the kind of guy to arrive late to his own birthday party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 60 kudos? I love you guys! Your kudos and comments mean so much to me.
> 
> I hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Grenda and Candy were the first two of Mabel's friends to arrive. They came together, with their sleeping bags and presents in one hand, and their own hands wrapped together in the other.

"Who is ready to party?" Grenda yelled. She dropped her items on the ground and pumped her fist into the air.

Candy giggled. "This sleepover will be just like our old ones!"

Dipper's birthday technically wasn't a sleepover. It had been a spur of the moment decision, a little after party for Mabel herself.

"I hope not," Mabel replied. "I don't want to trash any rooms!"

"There's a sleepover?" Pacifica raised an eyebrow. She crossed her arms over her chest. "No one ever told me! I would have brought a sleeping bag."

Mabel rolled her eyes. "As if you would ever use a sleeping bag, Pacifica! Knowing you, you'd probably just bring a bunch of silk sheets, an Egyptian cotton comforter, and a whole mattress with you." Mabel smirked. "Besides, my bed had room for two."

Candy and Grenda both laughed. Pacifica turned red, though there was a faint smile on her lips.

"You guys can go take your sleeping bags and stuff upstairs," Mabel said, pointing towards the stairs. "But if you want, I can take those presents off of your hands. There's a whole pile of gifts for Dipper in the kitchen."

Candy nodded. She reached down and picked up a wrapped green box. "I got him some books that he might like to read." She held a finger up to her lips. "Just keep it a secret. Okay?"

Mabel nodded. "Your secret's safe with me."

"I didn't know what to get him." Grenda pulled out an envelope. "Your brother likes money, right?"

"I'm sure he'll love it. Just don't let my great uncle know or he'll take the gift for himself."

The two girls went upstairs. Mabel put the gifts up, next to a stack of other boxes, and then returned to the kitchen with Pacifica at her side.

"I think these cupcakes are looking great." They had only managed to frost a quarter of them, but there was no need to rush. Even if Dipper got home, there would still be time to frost a few extra.

"I agree," Pacifica added. She began to frost the next. Mabel joined her, humming as she worked.

"If you want," Mabel said, grabbing her most recently frosted cupcake and breaking it in half, "you can have a little taste test."

Pacifica's eyes widened. "Really?" For a moment, she stared down at her half of the cupcake in Mabel's hand. Her hand trembled slightly when she took it from Mabel.

"Really!" Mabel winked. "Try that! I swear that it really is the best cupcake in the world!"

"I'm sure it will be."

Just as Pacifica and Mabel were about to eat, a knock came at the door.

"I'll get that," Mabel said. She handed Pacifica the other half of the cupcake. "You can have the rest of that if you promise to keep frosting while I get the door."

"I promise!"

Mabel grinned. "Just eat one, okay? I know they're great, but I'm sure that all the other guests will want a cupcake of their own. Okay?"

Pacifica nodded. Already, her mouth was too full of cupcake to speak.

Mabel opened the door just as a second wave of knocks was beginning.

"Oh, Coraline!" Mabel grinned. "It's so great to see you."

"Thank you for inviting me," the other girl replied. She wiped her blue bangs from her eyes.

"Did you come here alone?" Earlier that week, during lunch, she had mentioned that she would be driving over with Wybie.

"Some plans got changed and I drove over here myself." Coraline entered inside, a large present still held in her hands. "I did get a text earlier from Salma saying that she and the guys would all be driving over together."

"Oh good!" Mabel wordlessly took the present from Coraline's hands. "You don't know how worried I was that people wouldn't show up."

"Not show up?" Coraline beamed. "Mabel, I've heard that your parties are killer."

"Well they are to die for." She giggled. "Come on into the kitchen and have a snack. Driving over here must have made you hungry."

"It took me less than ten minutes to get here from my house."

"But there's more than enough food to go around!"

"Alright," Coraline said before stepping forward. "I am a little hungry."

-

It couldn't have been five minutes since Dipper had left Bill's shop, at least if the watch that he was reading was correct.

Watches, Bill thought, running the smooth leather strap through his fingers. What do meat sacks even need these for? To count down the time until they take their last breaths?

It was a rather fine watch, a little trinket that Bill had picked up earlier. It was a celebration gift to himself for his years of waiting finally being over. Though, if he had to be honest, he was sure that Dipper would look better with it on. Considering where Bill would be taking him, however, the watch would be useless. Time didn't matter in the Mind Scape.

Bill sighed. Maybe the watch was incorrect. After all, it certainly felt like hours since Dipper had hurried from Bill's shop with his purchases in tow.

It ticked on anyway. The red, smaller handle, moved quickly, while the larger of the two black handles moved slowly after it.

Six minutes, Bill thought. It's been six measly minutes.

His earlier excitement had been replaced with a feeling of dread. How much longer would he be waiting? Hadn't he already waited long enough?

It wasn't that Dipper wasn't going to ignore opening the box. After years of watching him, Bill knew the boy like the back of his hand. Curiosity alone would cause him to open the box, though Bill had added a spell to it as well. After all, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Just get home, Bill thought. Get home, open the box, and play the game!

He had waited long enough, after all. Really, was it too much to ask for Bill to finally get what, no who, he wanted?

-

Norman, Salma, and Wybie all arrived to the party before Dipper did. Though she led her friends into her home with a smile, she couldn't help but wonder where he was. He didn't have other plans, did he?

He'll be here, Mabel reminded herself. He's probably just out doing something. For all I know, he could be getting a birthday gift for himself.

She repeated the mantra in her mind, yet still worried. It was hard not to, when he hadn't sent her any texts or even told her where he was going earlier.

Dipper has been through worse, Mabel thought. It was certainly true. If there was one thing moving to Gravity Falls had done, it was to make Mabel expect the unexpected. From evil psychic ex-boyfriends to stop motion clay figures brought to life with black magic, there was nothing that could be expected in Gravity Falls.

She absently frosted the cupcakes. She'd finally tried one of her own, and had been pleased that they had again turned out so well. Dipper would surely love them.

The doorbell rang and Mabel all but sprinted to the door. She still held the half frosted cupcake in her hand when she ripped the door open.

"I'm so glad that you could make it!" Mabel held her arms open.

It took her a moment to process who, however, was at the door.

"I missed you, kid."

"Wendy," Mabel said. "You're here!"

"I said that I would be coming." She stretched out her arms. "Though I must admit, that plane ride here sucked. I hate those crappy snacks they serve."

"It's a good thing that you're here then. There's lots of wonderful food here in the kitchen."

"Good!"

Wendy took off her jacket and placed her backpack down. It looked rather heavy. Though Wendy had widened up over the years after graduating from high school, the slacker in her still shone through. Not just anyone would drop everything to come to her brother's birthday party.

Soos soon followed in after her. He had the keys to the golf cart in one hand and a suitcase in the other. When he got inside, he placed it down by Wendy's backpack.

"Hey, ham bone," Soos said. Once his hand was free, he held out his hand. Mabel gave him a quick, hard slap of a high five. "We aren't late for the party, are we? I had to wait a little longer at the air port because Wendy's flight had gotten delayed."

"It's fine," Mabel said. "Dipper hasn't even gotten here yet."

"Oh good," Soos replied. "Wendy was really worried that we would be, like, super late. I was pretty scared that the food would run out."

"Nope! Feel free to eat all you want."

"Sweet!" Soos hurried towards the kitchen.

Mabel stepped out of the door, peering into the night. The world outside was dark, lit only by a yellow moon. It hung high in the sky, shining like a coin.

"Hurry up, Dipper," Mabel said. "We can't have a surprise birthday party without you."

Her only answer was the wind's howl, as if it were carrying her words away.

-

Dipper stopped, half of his body swallowed by shadows and the other half caught under the dim light of a street lamp. He hadn't been walking long, and during that time only one thought had gone through his mind.

He had to open the box.

Just a little peek, Dipper thought. I just need to see what's inside.

Dipper moved further under the street lamp. His heart raced as he moved his hand through the box, pushing past the wrapped gifts.

Just as his fingers touched the edge of the white cardboard, he froze. His heart skipped a beat.

From the back of his pocket, his phone rang a second time. It wasn't quite as shocking. Moving once more, Dipper pulled his phone out.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Dipper," the voice on the other line said.

"Grunkle Stan?"

"Who else would it be?"

Dipper nearly explained that he hadn't bothered to check the number, but stopped himself before the words could leave his mouth. Grunkle Stan barely knew how to use a regular phone. Cell phone lingo would go over his head.

"Look, Mabel asked me to call and tell you to get home." His tone lightened. "She wants to see you, kid. You aren't the type to leave ladies waiting, are you?"

"I was actually on my way home. I had just finished getting something."

"Good. Just get home a little faster, OK? Mabel seems pretty anxious."

Dipper didn't need to be told twice. He picked up the bag from the ground and began walking forward. "Tell her that I'm on my way!"

-

"Surprise!"

Though there was a chorus of voices, Mabel's still managed to be the loudest. She raced forward and wrapped her arms around her brother.

"Happy birthday, Dipper!"

"I should be saying the same for you, sis." Dipper grinned. He squeezed her back.

Mabel released the hug, but it was soon followed by a hug from Wendy and Soos.

"Does anyone else want a hug?" Mabel asked, gesturing towards her brother. "There's more than enough birthday boy to go around."

Dipper chuckled. "So, is this a surprise party or something?"

"No," Pacifica said. She rolled her eyes. "Your sister just threw a party that you never got invited too."

Mabel giggled. "Didn't see this coming, eh?"

Dipper blushed slightly, looking down to his shoes. That only made Mabel's smile widen further.

"Come on," Mabel said, wrapping an arm around her brother's back. For a moment, her eyes rested on the bulging bag he carried. However, the sweet aroma drafting in from the kitchen made her lead him forward. "There's more than enough food to go around. Come eat with us."

"There are cupcakes," Pacifica said. "Lots of them."

"Oh, Mabel," Dipper said. He paused, stopping Mabel with him. "You didn't have to do this for me."

Before Mabel could reply, Pacifica stepped forward. She stood completely still, her back straight and body stopping Dipper from moving forward.

"Your sister did not just go through all this work to throw you a party so that you could tell her that she didn't need to do this."

"Ooh," Stan said. He looked over at Mabel and winked. "You picked yourself a great girl, kid. Not only is she rich, but she's not afraid to call your brother out."

Pacifica's glare merely hardened.

"Thank you, Mabel," Dipper replied, in a voice that made him seem twelve again. His cheeks warmed once more.

"Awww, it's fine, bro." Mabel gave him a second hug. "It would have ruined the fun if you had known about this secret party."

"More like he would have ruined the fun," Pacifica replied. She grinned. "Now who wants to party?"

The room filled with various cries, everything from "Yeah!" to "Boo-Yah!" Mabel was still the loudest of them all.

-

Fifteen minutes in, and the closest thing that the party was to wild was the fact that Wybie had already eaten half of a pizza.

This is nothing like those teen movies, Dipper thought. By now everyone should be stoned or doing weird dance moves. Or both.

And, just like at most parties, he still managed to find himself standing in the corner, holding a cup of juice that he wasn't actually drinking.

Maybe it would get a little wilder. Not only was Grunkle Stan a very lenient guardian, but he had also already retired to his room.

"Just don't burn down the house or revive the dead." His last words had been aimed at Dipper.

"Grunkle Stan, that was five years ago!"

"Just thought that you might need to be reminded, kid. And hey, happy birthday."

Dipper absently surveyed the room around him. Mabel and Pacifica were eating cupcakes and chattering with some of their friends. Wybie seemed to have gotten tired of pizza and had moved onto eating nachos. Norman was chewing on his own pizza slice sand texting. Wendy and Soos were making mustaches out of frosting and then licking them off with their tongues.

This is your own party, Dipper thought. Go out and be a little social.

That was easier thought than done, as Dipper still stood in the corner. His only movement was his eyes widening, taking in the room around him.

It wasn't as if Dipper didn't have things to talk about. Norman, who was in his creative writing class at school, loved to talk about ghosts. He would surely love to hear about Mabel and Dipper's past experience at the haunted convenience store.

Wybie and Salma were both in his biology class. If worse came to worse, he could probably chat with them about next week's test. Though, all things considered, Wybie would probably be a bit more excited to discuss yesterday's experiment on worms and slugs.

He could even go up to Mabel and her friends.

She did throw this party for you, he reminded himself. Now all you're doing is acting like a wimp.

With what little courage he had, he walked over to where his sister and her friends were chatting.

"Hey guys," Dipper said.

"Dipper!" Mabel turned to him. "What's up?"

"Oh, you know," Dipper replied, looking down to his feet. "Just this party."

"Don't you like it?" Mabel asked.

Pacifica remained silent. Her arched eyebrow and hands on her hips said enough.

"Of course," Dipper said. He paused, unsure of what to say. The numerous eyes staring directly at him didn't help. "I just came to tell you something."

"What?" Mabel smiled. "It's something good, right?"

"Oh yeah!" Dipper's mind was suddenly blank, as if it were a dry erase board that had suddenly been erased. "I uh..." He bit his lip. "I got you a couple presents!"

Mabel's eyes widened and she pulled her brother into a tight hug, nearly spilling Dipper's yet to be drunk punch in the process. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! You're my favorite brother ever!"

"I'm your only brother." Dipper smiled. Though the rest of the girls' eyes were on him, he relaxed. It was just him and Mabel, chatting like usual. He could do that.

Before he could do anything else, Mabel showed him a necklace. She spoke even faster than usual. Dipper could only make out a few words at a time, and after Mabel finished speaking, he finally put the puzzle pieces together.

"That's a really nice necklace." Dipper smiled. "It's beautiful." He turned to face his sister's girlfriend. "Thank you so much, Pacifica."

"What are you thanking me for? I got it for your sister." The blond still smiled.

For a moment, Dipper could only smile at the two girls. Five years ago, he never would have thought that the two girls could be friends, let alone date. It was funny how time changed things. Now, the two were inseparable and all but married. In a way, Mabel was the luckiest of twins, and for the better. If anyone deserved to be happy, then it was her.

Though Dipper had to admit, it would have been nice to have someone like that for himself. He didn't know who though. His crushes tended to fade. Though Wendy still looked nice, he didn't want to break their friendship and make things awkward again. That little crush he'd had when he was twelve was a thing of the past.

For a moment, Mabel's eyes met with Pacifica's. Warmth flashed through both and smiles tugged at both of their lips. It would have been sappy if it weren't so precious.

No, Dipper didn't know who he wanted to be with, but he knew just what he wanted from that relationship.

-

Mabel furiously ripped through the wrapping paper.

"Hey, slow down a little," Dipper said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Those boxes aren't going to run away."

"I'm just opening my gifts fast so that we can move onto opening yours."

"I already opened the door and unwrapped a whole party!"

Mabel laughed. Well, it was true.

She opened the wrapping paper a little slower. There was something magical about opening gifts and seeing what lay inside.

Her eyes widened when she opened the first gift. By the time she had opened the other boxes, her eyes had all but popped out of her skull.

"Do you know what tonight is?" Mabel yelled. Her grin stretched across her entire face as she held one of the game boxes up. "It's game night!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some presents are better than others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to everyone who has left kudos, bookmarked, and commented! They mean so much to me!

Dipper's tongue was still heavy with the taste of sugar, and he almost thought he could feel frosting all over the sides of his lips. Still, it wasn't as if he could just take a napkin and wipe off his face. Not now, when his sister and all of his friends were looking at him wide eyed with a mountain of gifts surrounding him.

"Looks like someone's a very lucky guy," Coraline joked. She took another bite of her cupcake.

"He deserves it," Mabel replied, her eyes only glancing to the other girl for a second before returning to her brother. "Dude, what are you waiting for? Those boxes aren't going to open themselves."

Dipper looked over the pile of gifts. Boxes of all sizes, from small to ones that were nearly as tall as him, were stacked in the kitchen, and he estimated that there had to be at least fifteen. Various wrapping paper had been used, everywhere from plain colors to patterns to cartoon characters.

"He's probably just trying to decide which present he wants to open first," Candy said.

"Ooh, ooh!" Grenda said. She jumped up and waved her hand, though she was standing only a few feet from Dipper. "Open mine first!"

"No, mine!" Mabel said.

Dipper's hand shook as he reached his hand forward. So many presents and he hadn't even opened one yet.

"Oh come on," Mabel said. "Someone as curious as you has to see something that you want to open."

Wybie stepped forward, away from the side of the room where he had been quietly eating nachos. "If he doesn't want to open them then I will."

"I'll do it to," Coraline replied. She grinned over at him.

Before his brain could kick in and delay him any longer, Dipper reached forward and grabbed one of the moderate sized boxes - one too big to sit on the ground itself, and yet too big to be stacked on another gift and yet still go unnoticed. This was one had bright blue paper with "Happy birthday!" written all over it in rainbow colored text. The wrapping was rather shoddy, but Dipper could understand. There was a reason that he either had Mabel wrap gifts for him or he simply put all of his Chanukah presents in gift bags.

"Hey," Norman said. "That's mine!"

"Thank you," Dipper said, giving him a quick smile.

He didn't know who was more anxious about what was inside, him or Mabel. She had moved closer, her wide eyes locked on the box, and had all but taken it from his hands and opened it herself.

Ripping off the paper slowly and carefully, he revealed what looked to be an ancient book. Its cover was so worn that Dipper could hardly make out any of the letters on it. The ancient red binding was cracked, and it had the smell of a book that had been used throughout the ages.

"What is this?" Dipper flipped it open to a random page, revealing what looked to be like strange symbols.

"Just something that I picked up in that used bookstore downtown," Norman replied. "Mabel said that you might like it."

It looks like another journal, Dipper thought.

As he flipped the pages, he began to know differences between the two books. This one used dates and actually did list the author near the beginning of the book. Every bit of it was filled with text and pictures, and Dipper doubted that he would need to shine any black lights on it to reveal more information. And judging by the tone of the writing, the author knew what they were talking about.

"So?" Norman asked, raising an eyebrow. "Like it?"

"Do you?" Mabel added.

Dipper nodded. "Of course. A little heavy, about the size of my pre-calculus textbook, but I'll be fine. Thank you."

"Well," Norman said, scratching his arm, "Mabel deserves a little thanks to. She helped me out."

His sister merely grinned.

Had his twelve year old self had seen the book, he would have been over the moon. Back then, he probably would have skipped the rest of the party, along with all the other gifts, to go read it.

Right when Dipper closed the book's cover, his sister ripped it from his hands. "Let's see what else you got!"

"Alright," Dipper replied.

"Open one of the big boxes now!"

Dipper followed his sister's command and grabbed one of the bigger boxes. Candy's name was scrawled near the top in her messy cursive handwriting.

"What's in this?" Dipper asked. He couldn't even pick it up and shake it.

"Why should I tell you?" the girl replied. "That would ruin the fun!"

Dipper opened it faster this time, no longer caring if the wrapping paper got torn. When he finished, his eyes widened.

"You got me this?" Dipper felt his heart race, and part of him itched to simply rip the box open now.

"It was on sale," she replied. She grinned and pushed her glasses further up her nose. "I thought it would be cool."

Dipper could only stare down at the telescope. The box art work itself made it look wonderful, but he couldn't help but want to rip it open and set up the telescope himself. There were so many possibilities for what he could see.

"Thank you!" Dipper grinned.

"We can go alien hunting!" Mabel grinned. "Or maybe we can make some wishes on shooting stars!"

"I thought he might go people watching with it," Candy replied.

Mabel and her friends burst out giggling.

"I thought you guys grew out of those jokes," Dipper replied, though he couldn't help but smile.

"Hey," Mabel replied. "You can always find new uses for things."

"Me," Candy said, "I would probably use it to spy on people. There's nothing quite like knowing peoples' secrets."

"Now, Candy," Mabel replied, barely suppressing the sound of another giggle. "We don't need to be giving my brother any ideas."

-

"You know," Jill said, appearing out of nowhere like she always did, "this is rather weird, even for you."

"What would meat sacks call you?" Bill replied, glaring with his one eye. "That phrase or something?"

She rolled her eye. "Unlike you, I don't constantly meddle in the affairs of humans. I have other things to do."

Bill forced back a sigh. His eyes continued to scour the halls, making sure that everything was in its proper place. He had been waiting so long for this, and he couldn't have anything be less than one hundred percent perfect. He moved forward and examined a candelabra before his memory hit him.

"Ah, yes," he said. "The pot calling the kettle black."

Jill snorted. "You're ridiculous. I can't believe I'm helping you with this."

"Hey!" Bill could feel blue fire flaming from his hands. Though it couldn't hurt his twin sister, his only equal in power, it flamed on instinct. "I've helped you in the past, done you some favors. Isn't high time you paid me back, oh dear sister of mine?"

"Fine, fine," Jill replied. Her one eye glowed for a moment, going from an inhuman dark yellow to red. Even in her disguise, she hardly passed for human. There was just something about her that seemed unreal, something sharper and harder than anything that could be called human. Maybe the fact that she didn't try too hard to deny what she really was added onto that. "But only because this game is going to be fun."

"That's the thing - whenever you and I play together, it's always against each other. I figured if we worked together then we could both get what we want."

Jill raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so I get something out of it?"

Bill nodded. "Do you really think that I would ask you for something and not give you a little something in return?"

"What is it?"

Bill held a finger to his lips. "You'll find out soon enough."

"Do you mean to leave me hanging in suspense?"

"That's the thing about gifts," Bill replied. He walked over to a hall mirror and ran his finger over it. Only when he touched the glass did his image finally reflect in it. Raising a hand to his head, he began to run his fingers through his yellow hair. "They're best when they're surprises." He posed in the mirror for a few moments, making sure that he looked his best. For once, after all, he had someone that he needed to impress. He turned around, sending his yellow and black cape into the air. "Now, do please help me to tidy up this place a little. It's been a while since we've had some fresh meat in, and I'm afraid there might still be a little dust left in the place." He grinned, stopping her just before she could complain. Two brooms and a dust pan appeared suddenly in the air. "And do remember, all of this work will be worth it for you."

-

"You've gone through eight gifts and you still haven't grabbed any of mine," Mabel said. Her arms were crossed over her chest.

"Oh, give him a little time," Pacifica replied. "Just think of it like my birthday. There's no guarantee just when I'll open a certain person's gift since there are so many. Though, lets be honest, I usually get a lot more gifts than Dipper does."

Dipper snorted.

Leaning forward, he grabbed a box. However, as he pulled it up, another box came with it. Grabbing it, Dipper turned to see that on the side he hadn't seen, another name tag was written "For Mabel" in all too familiar handwriting.

"Hey," he said, pulling the box off of the other, and ripping a bit of wrapping paper in the process. It must have been glued on. "Why don't we take a break from opening my gifts and give Mabel a turn? It's her birthday too."

The only person to object was Mabel herself. "It's your surprise party, Dipper."

"Hey, you're my sister," Dipper replied. "I want to make sure that you have fun too."

"But, Dipper," Mabel replied, her voice taking on a slight whine near the end.

"Do it," Dipper replied, holding the box out further towards her. "It's my birthday wish."

"Oh, alright," Mabel said, taking it from his hand. The box was wrapped in plain newspaper. It wasn't hard to guess who it was from. Only one person was cheap enough to not use wrapping paper. And, judging by the words on the sides, his uncle had used the obituary pages.

Ah, Grunkle Stan, Dipper thought. There's just nobody quite like him.

"Go on," Pacifica said.

"Yeah, Mabel," Dipper added.

"If you guys insist." Mabel ripped the paper to tiny pieces, spilling it all over the floor. Inside was a dark box, looking to be made of a velvet like material.

"Shake it," Wendy said.

Mabel did. It made a few clunks, but nothing easily discernable.

"What's inside?" Wybie asked. He had moved back towards the side of the room a little while before.

"It's a mystery," Soos replied.

"There always seems to be one of those around here," Wendy replied and laughed. "Knowing your great uncle, it has to be something weird. That guy never gives normal presents. They're too expensive!"

Dipper couldn't help but laugh. He was certainly glad then that the old man was upstairs and in bed.

"Hey," Mabel replied, "I think that it'll be something great."

"Hurry up and open it," Soos said, shaking his fists. "I can't keep on waiting."

"Yeah," Dipper said.

Mabel looked up and grinned at her brother. "Now you know how we all felt when you were opening your gifts earlier." Then, before any chants of "Open it!" could start (as Wendy had begun multiple times that night), Mabel tore off the box cover. Her eyes widened, and she stepped back, holding the box closer to her chest.

"What is it?" Grenda asked, hopping from one foot to the other. "What's in the box?"

Mabel pulled an all too familiar fez from her hat, one that Stan hadn't been wearing earlier. Tucked between her fingers was a piece of paper. Wordlessly, she placed it on her head.

"Nice!" Soos said. "It looks even better on you than it does Stan!" He bit his lip. "He didn't hear that, did he?"

Mabel laughed. "Let's hope not." She posed for a moment, holding her hands to the sides of her face. "Do I truly look that marvelous?"

A few people laughed, Dipper included.

"You better believe it," Pacifica said, moving forward and wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Hey, what's that note say?" Dipper pointed towards it.

Mabel held it up and opened it. "Dearest Mabel," she read off. "You're really growing up on me, aren't you? It might be hard to believe, but it seems like just yesterday that you were running around with Waddles and had just barely passed your twelth birthday. In that time, you've come to be perhaps one of the best people that I have ever known. I know that this gift might not initially seem like much, but I want you to know what comes with it." Mabel paused for a moment.

Dipper looked down to his own box. He shook it slightly, though the banging inside was a bit louder.

"I know you tried to be a boss before and that didn't work out." Mabel snorted. "That was a real nightmare."

"Remember when I wore that question mark suit?" Soos shivered. "That thing still haunts my nightmares."

"Hey, I liked it when Mabel was the boss," Wendy said.

"However, you've really matured. I say this with full sincerity, Mabel." She paused for a moment and sniffled. It was hard to see her eyes, as the fez and her brown bangs blocked most of her eyes, but it almost sounded like she was crying. "I trust you to be the boss. Doing that just doesn't mean telling people what to do, but helping others out. You have to do what's right and always be there for other people when they need you. You need to look out for your brother, Pacifica, and everyone else you care about. And knowing you, you definitely will. I know that my job and the fez is in good hands." Mabel's voice cracked at the end. "And P.S., don't think this means that you can tell me to stop making my cheese lovers delight sandwich. I don't care if you kids think that it tastes nasty, you guys have to eat it." Mabel laughed. "Love you kid, Stan."

Dipper grinned. "Looks like Grunkle Stan gave you a pretty big gift."

Mabel nodded. "I guess so." She grinned. "But hey, maybe this time around I can handle it."

-

"Do you think everything looks alright?" Bill asked.

"You've been asking me that question over and over. My answer has yet to change from a yes."

"I'm just making sure." Bill bit his lip. "I want this place to look nice, okay?"

"You're probably going to change everything once you have..." She paused, tapping her chin. "Oh, what do you call him? Fern? Oak Tree?"

"Pine Tree!"

"Yeah, yeah, Pine Tree or whatever," Jill replied, gesturing around the room with her hands. "But seriously, aren't you going to change it around to whatever the guy wants?"

Bill paused. "I suppose so. But hey, he may like the way it looks already. That attic he sleeps in is certainly dirtier than this place."

Jill shrugged. "Whatever." She paused. "You know, considering how the game goes, I think you might need to clean up a few stains though. I can't guarantee just how many rules I'll bother to follow."

"Don't worry," Bill replied. "Even the toughest of stains always come out."

-

"Since I'm the boss," Mabel said, pointing her hand in the air. Dipper had finally finished opening all of his presents (it certainly had taken him long enough). "I vote that we all play some games!"

"I can't wait to beat you all at Monopoly!" Grenda said.

"I was thinking more along the lines of Spin the Bottle," Wybie said.

Pacifica laughed. "I don't think so."

"Hey," Mabel replied. "It could be fun."

"Not as fun as buying all the railroads," Pacifica replied.

Mabel giggled. "Okay, you have a point."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel gets an odd present that was never really intended for her.

Mabel had never played Monopoly in a group of team before, but she found that she actually preferred it to the original game rules. For one thing, she actually got to control what was going on while still having a little help along the way.

Gruncle Stan would have loved to play this with us, Mabel thought as she watched Grenda roll the dice. Her eyes followed it.

Pacifica seemed just as anxious as she was. Though the two had teamed up and managed to get as much property as they could, there were still pieces that they had been unable to click. Salma and Coraline had caught onto their plan pretty quick and made their own grabs for property.

"Two spaces," Candy said. She reached forward and picked up her and Grenda's shared car. Because there weren't enough pieces for everyone to play as one, teams had been made; judging by the spot that the two had just landed on, it had only worked out in favor for a select few.

"Sorry," Mabel said.

Wybie grunted. "As if. You guys have everything."

"Hey," Mabel replied, pointing to his and Norman's piece. "At least you have company in that jail cell."

"You think it's fun in there?" Dipper asked. He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. His frown only continued to deepen.

"Don't look so down in the dumps, dude," Soos replied, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Things could always be worse."

"And they're about to be," Pacifica said, reaching forward and grabbing the dice. "I have a few pieces of property that I'd like to buy." In her free hand, she held up a wad of funny money.

"Do you really think that anyone will sell you something now?" Grenda asked.

"They will if they're in jail," Pacifica replied with a smirk. She rolled the dice, and for a moment Mabel's stomach was a messy swirl of worry and excitement. There was always a chance that things couldn't go their way, no matter what Pacifica thought. Her real life privileges didn't extend one hundred percent to this game. There was always a chance that someone else could use their property for their own purpose.

Then the dice stopped.

"Six forward," Mabel said, grabbing the shiny metal dog and moving it forward. She landed on one of the pieces of property that the two already owned.

"Someone come join us," Pacifica said.

Mabel laughed. "Yeah, it's a nice place, if you can pay the price."

-

Dipper had forgotten if Monopoly even had a real purpose. The game had been going on for what felt like hours, stretched slowly until his sister and her girlfriend dominated the board. By then, Dipper's "team" had dissolved, and there was finally no one pretending that Soos was the only one of the two boys who was playing (and actually cared about) the game.

Wendy must have gotten the same idea.

Connect Four wasn't one of the games that Dipper had bought, but it looked to be an old copy dug from somewhere in the Shack judging by the dust covered box.

Wendy set it up quickly, the two jumping into a wordless game.

"Did you used to play this with Tambry and the others?" Dipper's voice was low, drowned out by his sister's laughter and Pacifica's triumphant cries. For a moment, he almost thought he would have to repeat his words.

"Oh," Wendy replied after a moment. "Yeah, a few times."

"You got sick of reading that Avoiding Eye Contact magazine, eh?"

Wendy laughed. "Slackers constantly need to think of new ways to pass the time." She grinned. "Sometimes, when your great uncle Stan wasn't looking, Tambry and I would use real quarters instead of the game pieces."

Dipper placed down his black piece, making two in a row.

"Really?" Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Then how did you tell the quarters apart?"

"I can't even remember. I usually won anyway since Tambry almost never bothered to look up from her phone." She picked up a piece and analyzed Dipper's past moves.

"Well," Dipper replied, "I don't think that this will be as easy of a game as you think, at least if I have anything to say about it." He grinned. "I play to win."

Wendy laughed. "Well I do too." She placed her piece down, and the two watched it fall.

"That was a cheap shot," Dipper said, staring at his cut off pieces.

"As if," Wendy responded. "All that I did was stop you from winning." She smirked. "I guess that you'll just have to play harder."

The two played on from there.

"So," Dipper said, once their fourth game of Connect Four had started and another roll of the dice ensured more groans from the Monopoly crowd, "how has college been going for you?"

"Oh, good," Wendy said. "Kind of boring as I expected, at least in terms of classes, but it's still good things to learn. Though my professors can lecture on a bit too long. Sometimes I think that those old nerds just like to hear themselves talk."

Dipper laughed. "That stinks, but I can't say that many of my teachers are much different."

"Your great uncle mentioned early that you and Mabel had both been accepted to college with scholarships. Where are you going?"

"I'm going to a place over in Nebraska," Dipper said.

"Nebraska?" Wendy raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah," Dipper said, absently toying with the black game piece in his hand, "It's actually nationally ranked, and I got in on a full ride scholarship. The problem is that it's just not as well known as, say, Harvard."

"Harvard? Are you going to become a lawyer to make Stan mad?"

Dipper shook his head. "I'm double majoring in history and physics."

"Woah! Nice." Wendy shot him a thumbs up with her free hand, and dropped her red piece with the other. Yet another of Dipper's pieces were blocked before four pieces could connect. "So will you and Mabel be living in the same dorm or what?"

Dipper bit his lip. "Mabel's going to New York."

Half of Wendy's face lit up, with her all too familiar (and quite contagious) excitement. The other half saddened, her eyes filling with pity and her lips curling downwards into a heavy frown.

"I'm sorry," Wendy said. "It must be weird, the two of you being so far apart."

"No, no," Dipper replied. "We knew that it would have to happen eventually."

They played on for a while, though Dipper hardly noticed what was going on in front of him. Wendy won more than a few times, but Dipper could no longer even tell where he was putting his piece.

College was both something he loved and detested with his innermost being. Loved because it was a fresh start and a part of the road of Dipper's life. Detested because part of him was being ripped away from a person that he cared so deeply for, someone that he could never replace, even if he tried. But what Mabel wanted, Nebraska could never provide, and what New York could give Dipper came with too many unnecessary bonuses. Like crowded streets full of tourists or too many bright lights in one place.

"I win!"

Dipper could barely tell which girl, Mabel or Wendy, said it. His eyes remained on his lap below him, at his hands. 

-

He was barely awake, and only half conscious of what was going on in front of him. Once the rest of his friends had gotten sick of Monopoly, they had moved onto other games. Dipper had only halfheartedly played them.

"The birthday boy shouldn't be in last place," Mabel had said. Her jabs hadn't gotten much of a reaction.

It was just so hard to focus on what was going on then. There was college to worry about, his test on Monday, the school play part that he had auditioned for but missed (seriously, if he had wanted to end up getting cast instead as a background, nameless character than he would have auditioned for that role instead), all the laundry that he needed to get done...

And the box.

The box.

It always came back to the box, his mind moving in circles until it reached its thoughts on the box once again.

The box, with its smooth cover and bare, white coating. The box that had been given to him by the blond store clerk, the one that had seemed so handsome and outgoing, and yet at the same time seemed a bit too unreal,

The box.

Oh, how he desperately wanted to open the box.

There was no telling just what kind of game was found inside. Or maybe there was no game at all, and just a surprise packed inside an old game box, a gift all Dipper's own.

Then again, why had the guy given him the gift? Was it to thank him for his business? Was he a super nice guy? Or was there something really special in the box?

"Earth to Dipper," Mabel said, waving her hands out in front of him. "You still there, bro?"

"Huh?" Dipper's eyes moved around him. "Oh yeah, uh, yeah. Uh, what?"

Pacifica rolled her eyes. "She was asking if you had any ideas for what we could play next."

Dipper yawned. "Oh, uh..."

Everyone else seemed wide awake, probably fueled by all the candy and cupcakes and other sweet treats that Mabel had served.

"We already played through most of them," Pacifica said. "And I've never heard of this game called 'Oh, uh' before. Where do you buy it?"

Dipper was too tired to even think of a response to that. He didn't even have the strength to cringe at the other party guests' laughter. "There's a game in my bag, in a white box. We can play that."

-

"Dipper?" Mabel asked.

"You've already shaken him and yelled at him like three times," Pacifica said. "I'm pretty sure that guy's out cold."

"Then he won't even get to play his own game," Mabel said.

"His loss."

Mabel sighed. As usual, Pacifica was right. Peeling off her sweater, she placed it over her brother as if were a blanket. For now, that could help to keep him warm.

"Well," Mabel said, sitting down in a circle, her legs crossed over, "let's get this game started."

She placed the box down on the floor, in between everyone.

"What's in that?" Coraline asked.

"I don't know," Mabel said. "I'm guessing a game. Let's just find out."

She opened the white box quickly. There was no point in looking at the white surface too long. It was boring and colorless.

"Woah," Pacifica said.

"Woah," Mabel repeated. "I can't believe this."

It looked just like an ordinary game. Mabel had hoped that it would be one of those new ones that had more than just a board, but instead it had a board, a set of dice, a set of paper cards, and a sheet of paper.

Mabel pulled it out. Written on the center of the top was the word "Rules" written in bold, stylistic writing. The entire thing looked to be handwritten. For a moment, Mabel scanned her eyes over it.

"Listen to this guys," Mabel said. She raised her voice to make it sound more like her brother's. "I am the man in your dreams, the being that lurks over you in the darkest of night, and this is my game. In this game, you must follow my rules and my rules only to complete the task and win the game."

"Did Dipper write that himself?" Wendy asked, her voice shaking slightly as she laughed.

"It's sound like some pretentious, magical junk that he'd write about," Pacifica said.

"Oh, don't be rude." Mabel grinned. "I get it now. Dipper made me an actual game!"

If her brother weren't out stone cold then she would have gone up and hugged him.

"That's really cool!" Coraline said. "He must have worked really hard on it."

"I know," Mabel replied. She looked back to the instructions. "Okay, basically we need to admit that we consider this game real and agree to follow all of its rules."

"What?" Norman asked, raising an eyebrow. A few other people gave her matching looks.

"It's weird," Mabel said. "You know, like Dipper."

She handed Norman the rules so he could read it himself. Mabel herself dug deeper into the box, pulling out the game board and more paper.

"Okay, we read cards, we roll the dice, all the basics," Mabel said.

"What about game pieces?" Soos asked. "I want to be a dinosaur."

"It says here in the rules that we have to make the pieces ourselves," Norman said. "That, and that we need to need to draw ourselves."

"Ooh, that sounds wonderful!" Mabel ran off, racing upstairs to her room. Of course Dipper had made it for her! Who else would incorporate her love of arts and crafts into it? And there were more than enough reasons to throw glitter on it.

By the time she got back downstairs, everyone had gotten their papers. Placing down the supplies, Mabel and her friends began to draw themselves.

Soos, who drew himself as a number of circles wearing a dinosaur shirt, grinned when he showed off his piece. Wendy, ever the slacker, just drew a stick figure with a blob of orange for her hair.

Other people, such as Mabel herself, took their time drawing their piece. Some cut it out carefully and made sure every little bit was colored in with crayon or markers. Coraline drew hers as carefully as she possibly could, making sure every little detail was correct. With the way that she was drawing and shading it, it seemed more like a photograph than a sketch.

Dipper still hadn't woke up.

He must have tired himself out from all that partying, Mabel thought. She reached forward and grabbed another piece of paper, doodling her brother on it. Rather than drawing him in what he was wearing that day, however, she drew him in his clothes from a few years past. She didn't know why; her hands reached for the crayons before she even had time to dwell on it.

By the end of it, she had a drawing of her brother dressed in a red shirt, jean shorts, a blue vest, and a lighter blue pine tree hat.

Maybe he'll wake up soon, Mabel thought.

"Okay," Norman said, holding up a card. "The game says that we all have to swear that we understand that the game is real, to follow all the rules, and agree to play."

"I do," Wybie said with a laugh. He reached out and touched the game board. "I feel it, so it's real."

Salma rolled her eyes. "This seems a bit over the top, even for Dipper."

"It can't be that bad," Mabel said. She placed her hand on her heart, and with the other one held tightly on to the little paper doll of herself that she had made. "I, Mabel Pines, realize that this game is real and agree to play by the rules."

As if she had suddenly placed the birthday girl's stamp of approval on it, everyone else started doing the same thing. While they did so, their game piece was held tightly in their fists.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OK, so I'm a bit behind on updates and I'm sorry for that. I can only hope this chapter makes up for that.

Jill had to force back a giggle. Were these kids even thinking about what they were actually doing? Even games needed to have some thought to them, just so that the players could know what they were doing and form a strategy of how to win from there.

The closest that Jill saw to a thinking meat sack was the girl with the pink glasses. Her nose was curled and forehead wrinkled. "Do you honestly think that I'm going to do this, Mabel?"

"Oh come on, Salma," another person replied. It was hard to tell which of the meat sacks was talking this time; though Jill had learned to differentiate some, she still had trouble with others, especially from her angle. Like her brother, in her true form she was two-dimensional. Rather than elaborately changing shapes and bodies, she merely turned herself the color of the wall and watched the group from one side of the room, which only gave a good view of certain members of the group.

"Lighten up," another girl said, whipping her red hair back behind her ear. From what Bill had previously described of these meat sacks, she seemed vaguely familiar. "I took that oath too. It won't kill you."

Jill almost laughed.

Almost.

Before she could, her brother's voice echoed through her mind.

"Feel free to spy on them," Bill had said earlier, waving his came around. "It's not like I can do much to stop you, and I'm glad that I have someone else to keep an eye on them. All I ask is that you make sure to keep your distance and not get spotted. We can save the scares and oddities for later."

And that later can't come fast enough, Jill thought. How much longer until all these other meat sacks say yes?

She was getting sick of this human home. It was so fixed. At least at Bill's place the walls and floors could instantly vanish or melt away, the pictures on the wall could change images at will, and the wallpaper wasn't such an ugly color.

"Fine," Salma said. "I'll do it."

"Swear by it!" Mabel said.

Salma rolled her eyes but took the oath as Mabel had before, putting one hand on her heart and the other on her paper doll. "I swear to do this, but only because Dipper is a better partner to have in class projects than most other students."

Mabel giggled. "We've almost all taken the oath, right?" She peered around the room, giving everyone a grin.

"I still need to take it," a voice from the back piped up. Jill couldn't see the person, but they had a low voice. "I, Grenda, swear to do this and am so down with this!"

"Me too!" Another person said, raising their hand up and waving it.

"Well, that's all of us."

The moment that the last word was out of Mabel's mouth, the room filled with a flashing white light. There wasn't much time for anyone to react. If anyone had been blinking at the time, it would have been a simple matter of being in one place one moment and another place at the next.

The moment that they were gone, Jill pulled herself off of the wall. Not being able to move for a few moments was awful. For a moment, she could only change forms constantly, making sure whatever form she took moved in all directions.

By the time that she finished, she had returned to her comfy human form. Had she not been floating a few feet above the air and her skin not had a blue tinge to it, then she might have passed for a human.

Guess I better be heading back, Jill thought, floating over to the game board. Bill said he really needed help.

As she floated over, something caught her eye.

"Oh, I see," Jill said. She smirked. Floating over to the sleeping body of Dipper Pines, she looked down onto the boy below her. "Thought you could sleep off this game, huh?"

Dipper didn't reply, just snored on.

Leaning down, Jill carefully picked him up, treating him like the glass Bill thought that the boy was made of (a glass that she sadly was not allowed to break).

From where she had been, she hadn't even noticed the sleeping Dipper.

"It's a good thing I found you," Jill said, moving a lock of hair away from his eyes. "Bill would be furious if he didn't see you with the others."

After all, what was a game without a prize?

-

Candy blinked once and then a few times again afterwards. Nothing changed.

"Grenda?" Candy asked, leaning in closer to the girl. Like always, they were side by side, and her presence and touch was certainly welcome at that point.

"I was hoping that you would know," Grenda replied, tightening her hold on Candy's waist.

This certainly wasn't the inside of The Mystery Shack. The place, wherever (and whatever) it was, lacked the familiarity of it and the comforting presence of Dipper and Mabel. The Mystery Shack had an old, worn feeling to it, but a good feeling, like shoes that a person wore for years. Meanwhile, this place looked like something from a magazine aimed at antique collectors.

That vase has to cost a fortune, Candy thought.

Her grandmother commonly looked at that stuff online and at antique stores. Though she rarely bought the items (most of which Candy doubted anyone in Gravity a Falls but Pacifica Northwest could afford), her grandmother loved to be near them, as if the items had some sort of aura.

"Why do you like these so much?" Candy had asked once. The old items, though pretty, lacked the futuristic advancements of more modern products. By all means, most of the items were obsolete.

"I'm not rather fond of most things of the past," her grandmother had replied. Normally, when she spoke of those things, her forehead would wrinkle and her tone of voice drop, but at that time she had a twinkle in her eye. "But it's nice to be able to have pieces of it. That way, I can keep what I think truly matters from that time."

Candy's mind swam. There was just something about this place, with its fancy vases, wallpaper covered in triangles, and long, dark halls that made it seem more than just unnatural.

No, this place was beyond reality itself. No matter how long Candy stared at the vase, she couldn't think of a time for it. As if time didn't matter in this place.

"Grenda, where is everyone?" Candy's heart was racing and sweat had started to fall down her forehead and the back of her neck.

"I wish that I knew."

-

Bill hovered over the boy below him. Dipper was even more handsome up close, with a small smile gracing his lips as he slept.

"So, what? Are you going to invade his dreams or something now?" Jill asked.

Bill huffed, turning around to face her. "I thought that you were busy terrorizing the other players."

"I was," Jill replied with a smirk. "Man, you should have seen the way these two girls were reacting. It was like you could place anything in front of them and they would be scared."

Bill rolled his eye. "Yes, yes, I'm sure that it was wonderful. Just keep those other meat sacks entertained until the game is up."

"Fine," Jill replied. She raised an eyebrow. "I assume that your little pine tree as you call him is off limits."

Bill looked back down to the still sleeping Dipper. "I want to say yes, but I've seen how he acts in certain situations. If worse comes to worst, give him the biggest scare you can."

"Trying to break his spirit now?" Jill giggled.

"Like I said, hurting him is only for the worst case scenario." Bill stiffened. He had seen his pine tree hurt before, back when he dared not reveal himself. It wouldn't be the first time, but it would be the last. "Let's just hope that it doesn't have to come to that."

-

Dipper Pines had learned how to pretend to look asleep when he was eight years old. Back then, he would stay up long past his bedtime of eight forty-five reading books. His only source of light tended to be a flashlight or one of Mabel's various glow in the dark objects (which were everything from teddy bears to stickers), something small that could be easily hidden under his blankets. After all, if there was any hint that a Dipper had been up, he would be grounded.

The trick had gotten him through grueling years of summer camp, nights where his great uncle bothered to check on the kids, and apparently helped save his life.

At least it would if the people talking above him would ever leave.

Just keep pretending to sleep, Dipper thought. Eventually they have to leave, right?

Whoever these people were, they certainly weren't anyone that Dipper knew.

One of the voices, the deeper toned one that had been around longer, spoke.

Dipper's heart skipped a beat.

Whoever these two were, they spoke fast. Some of the words had passed him by, but "hurt him" had not.

Just stay asleep, Dipper thought, remaining still. Stay asleep.

-

Bill sighed. If he could, he would have looked down at Dipper forever. The boy was so enchanting, one of the rare sights that could actually hold the ageless being's attention.

The game's begun, Bill thought. He tightened his fists and forced on a smile.

"Wakey, wakey," Bill said, leaning down and shaking Dipper. "I've got a surprise for you, birthday boy."

-

Dipper's eyes may have opened, but he still couldn't move. Not when the man from the game store was staring down at him, a grin spread across his face, and his one eye all but burning a hole into Dipper's body.

"Dipper," the man said. "So glad to see you're awake. Did you have sweet dreams?"

Wait, Dipper thought. I do know that voice.

The game store guy had been the one looking down at him, the one who had mentioned hurting him.

The one who had given him the box.

Dipper somehow found the strength to stand up and walked backwards, as far away from the game store guy as he could.

He's floating, Dipper realized, taking another step back.

It was hard to see up close, but from a longer distance it was easier to see that the guy's feet were a few inches above the ground.

Had this been any other town, then Dipper would have thought it impossible. But this was Gravity Falls, and this wasn't the weirdest thing that he had ever seen there.

That didn't make his heart stop racing, however.

"Dipper, Dipper, Dipper," the guy said. "It's me, Bill? You haven't forgotten about me yet, have you?" He raised an eyebrow. "I know you're a bit surprised; I expected that. There's no need to worry though." He smiled. "I have a perfectly logical explanation for why you ended up here."

The smile was strangely genuine, which only made Dipper's skin crawl. Whoever this Bill really was, he certainly didn't seem like just a shop worker.

A shop worker that I was only supposed to meet once, Dipper thought. And after that never see again.

"Who are you?" That seemed like the most logical first question. Considering his past adventures in Gravity Falls, he had learned that it was better to know who he was facing rather than just the environment he was trapped in. For one thing, he would have raced the golf cart away at full speed had he known that the gnomes would have combined together.

"I told you," he replied, floating closer. His eye glowed with a bright golden color. "My name is Bill and I love you, Dipper Pines." He reached forward and grabbed Dipper's hands. "You mean the world to me."

Dipper quickly pulled his hands away. He certainly hadn't expected that explanation, which was more Mabel's romance novel weird than Gravity Falls weird.

"Uh huh," Dipper replied, raising an eyebrow.

Maybe this is just a side effect of those cupcakes she made, Dipper thought. Mabel has always been into mixing weird stuff with her food.

Bill's smile faltered. "You don't believe me, do you?" He sighed. "It would make sense. Had I shown myself to you before than perhaps you would understand." His one eye widened. "But you should know, even when you thought you were alone, I was watching."

Dipper stiffened.

"I suppose that I should tell you my surprise." The room suddenly faded away, changing in an instant from the strange hallway to a sea of stars. A comet passed them by in the distance, and if Dipper squinted hard enough he could see the outline of a bright green planet. Bill held his arms out. "Congratulations! You finally have the universe! With you at my side, you can finally unlock its every secret."

"What?" Dipper looked around. Already he had so many questions. For one thing, who was Bill and how did he have all this power? Were they really in space of was it just an illusion? Dipper needed air to breathe, and that was one thing space lacked.

"And not just that," Bill said.

The deepest realms of space vanished in an instant and were replaced by a beach. The sand was white, the water blue and clear, and the sky filled with a warm sun.

"And I can't just take you places," Bill said. In an instant, his hands filled with gift boxes of all sizes. "Go on and open them! I'm sure you'll like what's inside, and you can always ask for more."

"No."

The word came out in an instant.

The presents suddenly vanished and the beach disappeared, replaced by the long hallway from earlier.

"Oh." Bill's voice lowered and his eyes glowed red. Slowly, he grew larger, until a Dipper stood in his shadow.

"Bill, what are-"

"Dipper."

Bill's words froze the teen in place.

"I didn't want to have to do this. I really didn't." His usual grin was gone, replaced by a heavy frown. "But I suppose that if you won't accept me then I'll just have to win you." He grinned. "Welcome to the game, Dipper Pines."

"What game?"

"Your birthday game, the one that Mabel was so eager to play." Bill's smile returned, though it stretched a bit too long over his face and showed suddenly sharper, yellower teeth. "A very simple game, if I must say so myself. All you and your friends have to do is face your worst nightmares and find your way out before the sun rises tomorrow, ending your birthday. If you do, then you win and go free."

With sudden bravery, he crossed his arms over his chest. "What if I don't wasn't to play this ridiculous game?"

"Even better," Bill replied, leaning closer and grabbing him. His grip was tight, and he leaned his face closer and closer towards Dipper. "If you forfeit then I automatically win. Winning you was easy."

Dipper paled. "I'll play." His voice cracked at the end.

Bill just kept smiling, not even bothering to loosen his grip on Dipper's waist. "Fine, then I guess I'll just have to guarantee you lose." He held a finger up to Dipper's cheek and began to rub circles into his skin. "Really, you should be thanking me, Dipper. I could have given you and your friends a much harder game to play. You could say that this game will be a piece of cake."

Dipper weakly struggled against Bill's hold, but that only made the other tighten his grip around Dipper's waist.

Bill's voice lowered even further. "Or, rather, a piece of candy as our first player is about to find out."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything that can go wrong goes wrong.

"Grenda," Candy said, more to fill the silence than anything else. Her arms wrapped around her waist, and Candy looked to the ground. "Can you remember what happened before this?"

For a moment, her words seemed to hang in the air, and then just as quickly seemed to vanish, as if she had never said anything at all.

It's just this room getting to my head, Candy thought. Just this strange, strange room. She closed her eyes, blocking the room, with its strange decorations, from her sight.

In a way, it was like when her family had first arrived in Oregon. To some people, such as her grandparents, it had been a big move; not only was Gravity Falls different from South Korea (where they had grown up, and where part of her family still lived), but it was different from the eastern side of America that they had long known. Even Candy, who had only seen her grandparents' home country on vacations as a child, had easily understood how they could see the place as strange. Oregon was no New York City.

And this place, Candy thought, is no Oregon.

At least Oregon had made sense once Candy's family had gotten used to it. There had been laws, and not just the kind that legalized marriage between humans and woodpeckers, but laws of physics and motion and thermodynamics.

Here?

Here, it felt like if Candy opened her eyes, she would end up seeing all those laws broken. She didn't even have to see what was around her, as Candy's mind tore her world apart behind her eyelids.

"Grenda? Grenda, where are you?" Candy's grip on her own waist tightened. "Grenda?"

She'd always had Grenda, ever since she was young. It was hard to think of Gravity Falls, in all of its weirdness, without Grenda. Grenda had been the one who had helped Candy first adjust to her move; she had easily been the nicest of her new classmates, and had eagerly befriended her. Never once had she made fun of Candy's accent, mocked the food that she brought for lunch, or called her names. She would play Legos with her and style Candy's hair even while the rest of their classmates collectively ignored them.

When Candy opened her eyes, she saw her world the exact way that it shouldn't have been. The floor was still intact, the room was still, and nothing seemed to be breaking the laws of physics.

And yet it was even worse than before.

The vase that was not, could not be, a vase was still there.

The triangle patterned wallpaper still covered the walls, trapping Candy between it.

And Grenda, the girl that Candy could always trust and lean on, was gone.

"Grenda!" Candy's voice echoed across the wall, though she received no response. "Grenda, where are you?"

She looked ahead of her and behind her, and all she saw was an empty hallway on both sides. The hallways seemed to go on into oblivion on both sides.

"Grenda!" Candy's head darted in both directions.

Where could she have gone to?

Candy's heart raced in her chest, and seemed to be beating towards the left side of the hallway. Her legs, however, felt as if they were ready to race to the right side of the hallway, and never stop running until she found Grenda.

But is she to the right? Candy thought.

For a few moments, while her body itched to move, she looked to both the left and right. Beyond that, she did not move at all.

If I look for her, Candy thought, then I should at least try and find the right direction that she was in.

But the longer that she stood and expected, the more her heart raced.

Candy had never heard Grenda leave; in fact, she doubted the other girl ever would. There had been no final words, no loud footsteps, nothing.

Candy had simply closed her eyes, and when she opened them again Grenda had vanished into thin air.

-

"Mabel, where are we?" Pacifica asked.

Mabel, whose arms were buried inside of her sweater, shrugged. The empty sleeves of her sweater, free from arms, flopped in the air before falling back at her sides again.

"A room," she finally said. "A big room." Her voice shook as she spoke. "I was actually hoping that you would know, Pacifica."

"How should I know where we are?" Pacifica's eyes surveyed the room around them again. It was big, with dark blue walls and a thick red carpet. At the far end of one corner of the room were thick, wine colored curtains that completely blocked the windows. A large grandfather clock was in one corner of the room, while a dark wood coffee table sat in the center of the room surrounded by matching wood chairs with red plush seats. On the right hand corner was a large, dark red couch with matching colored pillows on it, though the couch looked as if no one had ever sat on it before.

"I just thought that you might know. Your big house has big, weird rooms like this in it, right?"

Pacifica scoffed. "As if," she replied. "Not even my parents would decorate a room like this that badly."

Her retort, no matter how sarcastic, didn't get a laugh from Mabel.

"Come on, Mabel," Pacifica said. "You explain."

"What?"

Pacifica bit her lip. "Mabel, this joke you're playing isn't funny any longer. Where is everybody? What happened to the game?"

"I don't know where we are!" Mabel said, her voice all but filling up the entire room. "I don't know-"

"It would be really nice if there was someone around who could give you all the answers that you're looking for, right?" The voice, high and easily filling the room, seemed to come from no direction and yet was everywhere.

A blue light filled the room, one so bright that Pacifica could still see it even when she closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes again, however, she found the light gone. Floating in the center of the room was a girl, with long, multi-colored hair that seemed to move of its own free will, and blue skin that seemed transparent in some parts. The girls eyes were a bit too large, and her teeth just a bit too crooked. Her nose seemed to vanish at times, as if there really wasn't anything there.

"But that would really ruin the fun, wouldn't it?"

Pacifica looked over to Mabel, who seemed just as shocked.

"This is Smile Dip, right?" Pacifica asked. "We did some bad party stuff that we really regret, but none of this is real! And things will go back to normal later, right?"

She had never had Smile Dip before, but Mabel always joked about it. She had for years.

"I don't think so," was Mabel's reply.

The girl floated closer. She laughed as she did so, the sound echoing through the room.

"Is that what you think I am? Fake?" The girl laughed again, this time so loud that the room shook.

It was only then that Pacifica noticed that there was no door.

"I'm not fake," the girl said. "And I'm certainly not some questionable candy induced hallucination." She grinned. "Though that would be a little fun."

She floated closer, until she was mere inches from Pacifica. Their eyes locked for only a moment, but it was easily the worst in Pacifica's life.

She moved away, however, turning towards Mabel. The two locked eyes, and though Pacifica could only see Mabel, it seemed as if the girl, whoever she was, had Mabel's attention held tight.

The girl was even stranger from behind. Her hair floated as if in an invisible water, and seemed to change colors as it moved. No part of hair seemed to be the same color as another, at least not at the same time. One part would be purple and the other a light blue.

"Mabel Pines, is it?"

Mabel stiffened.

"What does it matter to you?" Pacifica asked.

The girl turned, her eyes again locking with Pacifica's. "Did I sound interested in you?"

Pacifica stepped back, her body tight and tense like a held back spring. Her eyes remained locked on the girl. "No." She bit her lip. "No, but that doesn't matter."

"It doesn't?"

Pacifica swallowed the lump in her throat. She couldn't see Mabel's face any longer, but she could definitely imagine it. Mabel, eyes wide and mouth hung open, probably wondering what Pacifica was doing.

Not even Pacifica was sure of that.

"Where are we?" Pacifica asked. "Who are you?"

The girl's face, pulled back into a tight scowl, relaxed. In only a moment her anger was gone, her face going smooth as if all her anger had been ironed away. A smile replaced it. It was fake, yes, but not fake the way her parents' smiles were. No, it was fake like a drawing of a smile was; it looked like a smile, but it wasn't one, not really.

"Jill," she said. "And you are where you are."

She turned back towards Mabel. She floated closer.

"Hey, stop!"

The girl turned back towards Pacifica. Her smile was still there, but it was thicker somehow.

"Get away from my girlfriend," Pacifica said, moving towards Mabel.

Mabel, whose arms were now back in their sleeves, seemed to have the same idea, as she moved towards Pacifica.

"That wasn't an answer," Mabel spoke up. "Where are we?"

Jill only tutted in response. "There's no point in telling you." 

"You need to tell us!" Pacifica said. Mabel's hand wrapped around her own.

"Only Bill really knows where you are, and he doesn't bother giving things names." Jill shrugged. "That's just the way he is."

"Bill?" Mabel raised an eyebrow.

"My brother," Jill said. "If you want him, then you can find him with Dipper, wherever the pine tree is."

"Dipper?" Mabel froze, her eyes locked on the other girl. Her grip tightened on Pacifica's hand.

"He's playing this game too," Jill replied.

Jill was gone in a moment. It wasn't like Pacifica blinked and the girl was gone. No, she seemed to vanish like a gas dissolving the air.

Pacifica stiffened.

That's ridiculous, Pacifica thought, thinking back to her science classes. A girl couldn't just break apart her molecules into the air.

And she couldn't float either.

-

Dipper had been wondering around for a few minutes. With every new step he took, the world around him changed. In one step he was in a long hallway, the next in a garden, and the one after that a large stone room.

"Hard to keep track of where you are, eh?" Bill asked. "Watching this place change all the time sure must be exhausting, Pine Tree."

Dipper scowled. "You're the one who keeps changing it."

Bill raised his one eyebrow. "And your point is? I thought that staying in one place would get boring after a while."

"I thought that bothering me would get boring." Dipper spoke below his breath, yet Bill caught it all perfectly. What he lacked in eyesight he made up for in hearing.

"You, boring?" Bill had to hold back a laugh. He could certainly apply some of the adjectives to a few of the other mortals at Dipper's party. But Dipper himself? He was everything humans should have been but weren't.

"Can I just play this weird game of yours?" Dipper yelled. He threw his hands in the air. "All I want to do is win so that I can get out. That's pretty hard to do, what with you following me around and changing everything wherever I go."

"I just stayed around to remind you that you don't have to play. My offer still stands that we can end the game at any moment."

Dipper rolled his eyes. "As if. I may not know what I'm doing, but I know it has to be better than giving in."

Dipper stepped forward, and everything around him vanished before being replaced by tall trees that easily stretched out high above him.

"Pine trees!" Bill yelled. He grinned. "Pine trees for my little pine tree!"

Dipper glared at him.

-

Candy moved left, not because there was any sign of Grenda, but because that was what her gut told her to do. And besides turning right, it was all she had to do.

-

"Found a door yet?" Mabel asked.

"Just this window," Pacifica said. She peered at the glass, trying to make out the darkness beyond it. "I think it's really late. It's really dark outside."

Mabel ran over, looking at the glass. "Can you open the window."

"I think so," Pacifica replied, "but it looks dangerous."

"Dangerous?"

"We could exit the window and fall down."

"Fall? That sounds better than seeing that girl again." Mabel reached her hand towards the window latch.

As she tried to open it, a knocking suddenly came from the other side of the glass. Pacifica could feel the vibrations of the knocks on her skin, yet saw no one.

"Let me in! Let me in!"

Mabel and Pacifica both gave each other the same confused look.

"Grenda?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! I've been caught up with other fics. I'm going to at least try to start regularly updating this again.

Mabel's stomach felt as if it were trying to tighten in on itself. For once, her sweater did not feel warm and comfortable, but instead felt hot and tight.

That's ridiculous, she thought, breathing in a bit faster and a bit more than usual. I made sure to knit this sweater three sizes too big for me.

But then again, wasn't everything ridiculous? No, ridiculous, Mabel realized, just wasn't quite the right word. Ridiculous implied that something was funny, and neither her or Pacifica were about to start laughing.

Grenda wasn't either. Her banging turned louder and louder, each successive pounding to the window even harder to the last.

And yet, Mabel thought, still eying it, the glass still probably won't break.

Pacifica turned to look towards her. The blond was biting her lip and wide eyed. Other than the slight movement of her head, however, she was just as still as Mabel.

Mabel's heart beat against her chest, as if it were trying to break through her rib cage, out her skin, and out of her sweater. It was just moving so fast, so hard, a bit like Grenda's hands - moving so fast, so hard.

Wherever she got the nerve and energy to walk forward and open the window, Mabel doubted that she would ever know.

"I'm coming, Grenda," the girl said, her voice shaking just the slightest.

"Oh Mabel," Grenda's voice said, lower this time and not muffled by the glass. "Thank you so much!"

The window was hard to open at first, Mabel using all her strength, and then just as quickly easily came up, as if it weighed little more than a feather.

Ugh, Mabel thought, as she stepped away and looked at the window.

Grenda climbed through, beaming and red faced. Mabel thought she saw tears in the large girl's eyes, but she hardly had time to notice before she and Pacifica were pulled into the girl's chest.

"Oh, you guys!" Grenda said. "I'm so happy to see you. Everything here is so weird and I have no idea what's going on!"

Mabel didn't reply, just focused on the warmth of Grenda's chest. She could feel Grenda's heart beating, so fast that one might have thought it was entered into a race; she could hear the other girl's breathing as well, which was just beginning to slow down.

See? Mabel thought. Everyone's feeling the same way as you.

The thought, however, brought no comfort.

"Grenda," Pacifica said, pulling slightly away from her. "Oh, Grenda, you freaked us out when we first heard you." She smiled at the larger girl, something she never would have done just a few years back. "Are you okay?"

"I should be asking you guys the same thing." Grenda nodded, scratching at her arm. "I actually could be doing worse, I think." She paused for a moment, looking away from both of them. "I don't know where I am, but at least I'm with you guys."

"What do you mean?" Mabel asked.

"Well," Grenda said. For a moment, it seemed as if her words hung in the air. "I-"

"Candy," Mabel said.

Grenda's eyes widened. She didn't have to say anything else, not when Mabel had already filled in the blanks.

"Is she around here?" Pacifica asked. She broke away from Grenda and turned towards the window. "Grenda, is she out there? If you want, I could help her climb in."

Grenda shook her head. Finally, she released her hold on Mabel. "Pacifica, she's not there. I don't know where she is. All I know is that once we were exploring this hallway together and then I was alone. It was like she had vanished into thin air or..."

"Or she had never been there at all," Mabel said.

Grenda nodded.

A chill ran up Mabel's back, a chill her sweater never could have stopped.

'But," Pacifica said, her voice shaking again, "people don't just vanish into thin air."

"Well they don't float around and have blue skin either," Mabel replied.

"Mabel, I'm almost a hundred percent sure that the girl we saw wasn't even human."

"Who?" Grenda asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We'll fill you in later," Pacifica said, looking around the room. "Right now we have bigger problems to deal with." She suddenly reached forward and grabbed Mabel's hand, squeezing it tightly. "Whatever happens, we need to stick together. We may not know where we are, but at least we'll know where each of us is."

Grenda stepped closer to the two other girls. "Candy and I actually tried that, and she still vanished."

"I guess," Mabel said, squeezing Pacifica's hand back. Her heart was a bit slower and steadier. "But I'd still rather be with you two than be all by myself." She looked first at Grenda and then to Pacifica, locking eyes with both girls. "This means that we'll just have to stick together and look for Candy. Three is better than one, right?"

"Right," both replied, almost completely in unison. Pacifica spoke it a bit longer though, and for a moment her voice was the only one heard.

-

The hallway had more corners than Candy had originally imagined. It seemed to go on forever, its ugly wallpaper patterns moving on into eternity. Still, she pushed forward. If her grandmother or parents were around, they would certainly be pushing her forward.

"Don't give up," she could hear her father saying. "You're a Chiu, and a Chiu never gives up."

The words echoed in her mind.

Don't give up, Candy thought. Don't give up.

If she gave up, then she would be trapped into this place forever.

Just keep going, she thought. There has to be someplace out of here, right?

Yes, there had to be. Buildings, and it highly seemed that she was in one, needed windows and doors, places to get in and out. It couldn't have been built without at least one.

She could only hope that she was getting close to one.

Reaching another corner, Candy turned. The next side was darker, the furniture inside harder to make out.

For a moment, Candy paused, unsure of whether or not to step forward. No matter how hard she squinted, she couldn't make out the heavy shapes in front of her. For all she knew, there were weapons around the corner or a person waiting to strike her.

Or, she thought, maybe there's a different wallpaper pattern.

Whatever happened, Candy would just have to face it. It wasn't as if she could turn around now.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward. The breath was quickly knocked out of her a few steps later when she knocked into what she thought had been nothing but furniture.

But that was ridiculous. Furniture, after all, couldn't move or scream.

-

A heavy weight had been lifted from Dipper's shoulders, a great burden from his chest. He took in a deep breath, then released it after a few moments. Save for the sound of him breathing and his own footsteps, which had stopped the moment he stilled, the place was quiet. The world around him, a long and dimly lit hallway covered in old looking paintings and tapestries, did not shift whenever he walked.

Most importantly of all, however, was that Bill was gone.

He must have gotten sick of listening to me yell at him, Dipper thought. He grinned. Good, now I can actually focus.

His smile soon faded, however, as he kept walking. Try as he might, the longer he looked at a painting, the less that he seemed to understand it.

This is some sort of mind game, Dipper thought. It has to be from what Bill said earlier.

It was definitely one that he didn't want to play.

If this is his idea of a surprise, Dipper thought as he rummaged his hands around in his jacket, then I better not invite him to any other future parties.

Dipper bit his lip.

Oh come on, he thought, moving his hands around faster. It has to be around here somewhere!

He had been sure that he had his journal with him earlier. Through all the years that he and Mabel had been at Gravity Falls, the two had yet to find the author. However, they had been able to discover some of the journal's secrets and filled in parts that the author had left blank.

Whatever this place was, the journal was the only thing that Dipper knew would probably have answers.

Well, besides Bill. Thankfully, unlike him, the journal didn't float around him, one eye locked on Dipper. Dipper had never felt the journal's hot breath on the back of his neck.

Did demons breathe? Dipper thought. He had certainly felt something warm coming off of Bill when he had been close, though of what he could not be one hundred percent sure. Did he even want to know?

Dipper shivered. Bill may have physically been out of Dipper's presence, but he was still haunting Dipper's mind.

Just focus on the journal, Dipper thought, shaking away the image of the man in his mind. You just need to find it. Surely it can help you with something.

He couldn't be sure if it could help with everything. After all, this was far from even Gravity Fall's level of strange. This was a whole new level.

"Oh come on," he muttered. He dug deeper, searching and searching more. He was about ready to rip his jacket off when he felt a familiar presence behind him. Quickly, Dipper turned on his heel and met the yellow haired man floating behind him dead in the eye.

"Hello, Pine Tree," Bill commented, waving a pale finger at him. "It's so nice to see you here tonight."

"Bill," Dipper replied, barely able to keep the anger out of his voice. "I should have known that you would have done this. Where's my journal?"

Bill raised his single eyebrow. "Now what, pray tell, are you asking for?"

Dipper balled his fists. "I'm sure you know, considering you took it. Give me my journal back!"

Bill gestured his hand towards Dipper. "I suppose that I should finally give it back. After all, I've already read it cover to cover." His hand, once empty, suddenly held an all too familiar journal.

"I can't believe..." Dipper said, stepping back.

Then again, with what little Dipper actually knew about Bill, he would certainly be the type of guy (demon? Monster? Total creep?) to do that kind of thing.

"You stole my journal?" Dipper's eyes widened.

"I wouldn't use such a harsh adjective," Bill said, holding it out towards Dipper. "I prefer the term 'borrowed'."

Dipper snatched the journal from his hand. "I thought Mabel stole that!" He opened the journal, peering through it. "But you took it..."

"You just left it on your nightstand, right where anyone could grab it."

"I can't believe that I actually thought Mabel took this." Dipper looked back up to Bill and cringed. "So you stole my diary from the last few months of my sophomore year of high school? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I just wanted something to read," Bill replied, a gleam in his eyes. "About something that I love." He smiled, his one eye holding Dipper still.

"You're," Dipper said, "you're disgusting. Awful, wretched, creepy, monstrous-"

"Woah, woah, woah there, Mister Thesaurus," Bill said. Bill had to force back a chuckle, though Dipper still heard the beginning of it. "If you're thinking of the journal I'm thinking of, that silly little book with that weird hand on it, then I don't have it. In fact, I don't see why you'd need it either."

"You should know," Dipper replied.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "And why?"

"For someone who claims to love," Dipper began, nearly cringing on his last word, "me so much, then you should know why the journal is so important to me. It's one of my biggest connections to the mystery of Gravity Falls."

Bill chuckled. "That journal has nearly gotten your throat slit more times than you can count."

"Sure, it's a bit dangerous." Dipper faltered.

Okay, getting attacked by shape shifting monsters, ghosts, zombies, pterodactyls, and a million other monstrosities wasn't exactly normal, let alone anywhere near safe. But he had survived them all, and he was all the happier for it. After all, who else (besides Mabel, Soos, Pacifica, Stan, Wendy, Candy, Grenda, or any other number of small people who had gone adventuring with him) could say the same?

"You do know the reason that you're still alive today," Bill said, floating closer to Dipper again. Their faces nearly touched. Finally, Dipper found himself moving again, stepping back away from the other man. "Is because I saved you, correct?"

"I've never even seen you in my life before tonight!"

Bill smirked. "Who said you had to see me to be there?" He leaned forward, placing a finger on Dipper's cheek. "Just remember, my little pine tree, that were it not for me than things would have been much, much different for you."

"Good." Dipper smirked. "At least I wouldn't be here with you tonight."

Bill's eye narrowed. "I never thought you were the type to find rotting in a grave exciting." He vanished in a split second, faster than Dipper's heart could form a beat. Bill was like the Chesire Cat, however, in the fact that he could vanish and still leave one part of himself behind.

Not a smile - that Dipper knew, would have been haunting.

His eye, however, still locked on Dipper, was ten times as terrifying.

"Chop, chop," Bill said from an unseen mouth. "You have until sunrise tomorrow morning to win this game, Dipper. If you're really so concerned about winning, then you better hurry up and start playing. Time is running out."

Bill stared at him a moment longer before even his eye vanished, leaving Dipper staring at nothing but blurry paintings and hard walls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, sorry for the wait. I hope that you guys at least enjoyed this chapter! :D


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He's placing all his cards on the table, even when he doesn't have any at all.

Dipper sighed, flipping through the pages of his diary. Not only was it completely useless in helping him find out what was going on, but it wasn't even the real journal. The real journal was back at home in The Shack, unless Bill of course had taken that too. It would certainly make sense.

It's not like the guy has boundaries, Dipper thought. A shiver ran up his spine. Just touching his diary made him feel queasy. What had Bill done while he had read it? Could he have done something to his diary? And what had made him want to read Dipper's diary so badly?

In fact, what made him want Dipper so badly anyway? It wasn't as if Dipper were the most attractive man in the world, nor was he very exceptional. Not a star athlete, not a valedictorian, and not that noticeable among a crowd.

But then again, was Bill's attraction supposed to make sense? The guy was a demon, a one-eyed monster that had trapped Dipper inside this place. There was no other word to describe it; Dipper didn't even know if he was still on earth. For all he knew, he was in a pocket dimension, an entirely different universe.

Dipper shivered. If he was in another universe, then how was he expected to get home? It was one thing to fall down a bottomless pit (which, surprisingly, had a wormhole for a bottom), another to be attacked by ghosts, and an entirely different thing to be in...

Well, here.

Man, I wish that Bill had given me some kind of instruction guide to this. Dipper thought as he walked forward.

He shook his head.

No, no, he didn't want anything at all from Bill. Nothing. It would be so much better if he never saw the guy again.

But I probably will, Dipper thought as he continued moving forward. His legs ached, though he didn't think that he had been walking that long. Wait, did time even exist here? And what exactly was "here"?

Dipper scowled.

He would probably see Bill again; it was the sad truth. After all, wherever this place was, it was obvious that Bill knew much more about it than Dipper did.

It has to get me somewhere, Dipper thought. Right?

He took another step and then another. One foot forward and then another.

Just keep going, he thought. Standing around won't help you, not now.

-

Coraline rubbed her head. The air around her felt heavy and stale, as if she was inside of a small space that had sat around and collected dusts for years.

Close to her came a groan.

"What's going on?" Coraline asked, still rubbing her head. When she opened her eyes, she saw her arm in front of her head. From behind it, she saw a white wall.

There shouldn't have been anything familiar about a white wall, but there was.

"What even-"

"Coraline?" a voice asked.

Coraline suddenly turned silent. She turned towards the voice and was silent for a few moments longer. Blink, blink. One blink, two blink, three blink, four blink.

Nothing different. Everything's the same.

"Wybie," Coraline said, her voice shaking slightly. "Tell me that I'm not the only person who sees this."

"How did we get to this place?" Wybie stood up, his legs shaking. Beneath him, the wooden floor creaked. "Why are we at your former place?"

"I," Coraline began, her eyes wondering around the room. "I don't know, Wybie. All I remember is that we were at Mabel's place and the next thing you know we're here. I think that we were playing some sort of game." She bit her lip. "I definitely don't know how we got here of all places."

Back when Coraline had first lived in this flat, she'd had to take the bus to school all the way in Gravity Falls. It was the closest school, no matter how far the drive was. As her parents income increased, they had decided to move to a house of their own closer to the town, close enough to where Coraline could ride her bike to school. It was a good thirty minute ride, but it was good exercise, and there wasn't much traffic in town either. She could bike freely.

"Maybe..." she began, but never continued.

How had they gotten there?

The place was empty, void of furniture and boxes. The room was completely empty, save for the dusty floors and fireplace mantle.

"Did something happen at the party?" Wybie asked.

"Yeah, I guess so." That was the only explanation that made any sense. Coraline stood up slowly, her legs wobbling as she did. "That still doesn't explain how we got here."

And what could?

Coraline shivered. Though she had fond memories of this place before she left, Coraline much preferred her new home. For one thing, it didn't have that little door.

The little door sat across from her. Despite herself, she couldn't help but feel the door - bits of wood and metal - was watching her somehow.

Relax, Coraline thought. The Other Mother is gone. You destroyed her years ago.

But she couldn't be one hundred percent sure, could she? She had put the key into a place where it could never again be found and destroyed one of the Other Mother's hands (and her eyes, since The Cat had torn them off), but she had never seen if she truly vanished. For all she knew, she was still waiting behind that door, either for her revenge or for a chance to get another poor child to come inside.

Could she have something to do with this? Coraline thought. Her heart suddenly began to pound against her chest. Does she want to hurt me and Wybie? What about my parents and my other friends, what if she wants to hurt them too?

A sudden thought hit Coraline like a slap in the face.

What if she already had? Coraline had no idea where her friends were, save Wybie. What if she had already gotten them?

"Look, Jonesy," Wybie said. He forced a smile, and for a moment he looked like he had all those years before when Coraline had first met him. "I think that we need to go find my grandma. She might know what happened, and if not we can claim that we drove home from the party. Deal?"

Coraline gave him a shaky grin of her own. "Sure." Well, at least they could try to not get in trouble or get anyone concerned.

"And if she asks why you came with me, it will be because we wanted to start working on some homework together." Wybie looked towards the window, and Coraline's eyes quickly followed his. It was dark outside. "It could be eleven at night or three in the morning; I'm not sure which, but any works for me. I'll think of something to say when we actually face my grandma."

The two turned and began to walk towards the hallway leading out of the living room. Before they could get fully out, however, something creaked behind them.

Coraline turned around in a flash. Her eyes widened and body froze because no, no, no, no-

"No," she whispered. That was all the movement that she could make, other than the fast beat of her heart. The rest of her body was still.

The little door opened, slowly at first and then all at once. From inside its dusty, unworldly corridors, a figure came out. The person inside wasn't the Other Mother (unless of course she had changed over the years). For one thing, the figure had two hands and blue skin. Their hair was a strangly mess of colors. But those were just small details, little things that didn't really mattered.

What did was the one single black button eye on its face. The other eye was hard to see, blocked by hair. The figure reached up towards it and wiped their hair away.

Behind her, Coraline heard Wybie gasp.

There was no other eye - button or not. With their hair gone, Coraline saw nothing but a heavy gash where an eye should have been.

-

"Oof," Candy muttered, rubbing at her side. Her head was spinning, and she dared not open her eyes lest she see the world spin around her like she was on a carousel.

"Candy?" a familiar voice tentatively asked.

"Candy?" another voice repeated, louder this time.

"Grenda? Mabel?" Candy opened her eyes.

"You're okay," Grenda said. She stood up and grabbed Candy, holding her tight. "Oh, I was so worried about you!"

"We all were," another voice, Pacifica said. She smiled over at Candy, but stood still next to Mabel. "None of us had any idea where you were and then you just came and ran into Grenda."

"And I couldn't be happier," Grenda said, squeezing Candy tighter.

Candy grinned and quickly returned the hug. Wherever she had been, it was gone now. She wasn't alone, not anymore.

"I'm so happy to see you guys too." When Grenda finally released the hug, Candy kept close to her, their arms brushing together.

It felt so good, Candy realized, to be around others again. For one thing, the room actually felt like a room, that it wasn't a prop or had something to hide. Even if she still didn't know where she was, at least she knew that the place was what it appeared to be.

Her heart beat slower than before, at a regular pace. Sweat no longer dotted her forehead or under her arms. She was able to smile.

Reaching out, she pulled Grenda into another tight hug. Even though she knew it was silly, she couldn't help but wish that she would never have to let go.

-

Bill never moved his one eye away from Dipper. Even from the shadows, he kept careful watch over him.

The game truly wasn't necessary, not at all. All things considered, Bill would much rather have had Dipper say yes to him already, to end the silly game and get on with what really mattered. He had been waiting years for him after all, and he was now sick of waiting.

Bill had better things to do.

In an instant, a mere blink of an eye (certainly too fast for Dipper to notice anything), he appeared behind Dipper and put his hands on the other man's shoulder, stopping him mid-step.

Dipper froze, his eyes widening. A scream never left his throat, but a lump did form, one he couldn't quite seem to swallow. Had he been any other human than Bill would have been delighted with the terrified look on his face. Meat sacks, after all, weren't nearly as brave as they originally claimed to be.

"Hello, Dipper," Bill said. He smiled. "I was wondering if you had gotten sick of the game."

Dipper composed himself, breaking away from Bill's grip and turning towards him, one hand holding his diary and the other on his hip. "I'll have you know," he said, "that I'm going to keep playing this game, or whatever it is. You're not going to make me..." He paused.

"Your what?" Bill raised a blond eyebrow.

"Your, uh, boyfriend? Demon slave? Husband? Whatever?"

Bill chuckled. "Why Dipper, what a disappointment. And to think, I already had a ring picked out for you."

Dipper's eyes widened. "Look, whatever you think, I'm not marrying you. Or doing anything with you. In fact, I don't even know you or what this game is actually about."

Bill grinned. With one flick of his finger the room vanished before quickly replacing itself with a small bedroom. It had just enough room for a bed, a bookshelf, and closet, but not much else.

He and Dipper were only inches away. Dipper was a few inches shorter than Bill, just enough to where Bill could look down and see all of him.

"So that's what you want," Bill said, waving his arm around the room. "Hints? Information?"

Dipper nodded. His eyes only wavered slightly around the room, but other than that looked directly at Bill. "So you say I have to win this game? And to play a game there needs to be rules, but I can only get the rules by doing, er, stuff for you. Is that what you're saying?"

"Nothing more," Bill replied, "and nothing less." He stepped closer to Dipper and again grabbed his shoulders. His grip this time, however, was iron; try as he might, Dipper wasn't going to be wriggling away from him this time. Bill again raised his eyebrow. "So, my little pine tree, are you going to do what I ask? I promise that whatever questions you have will be answered for a price."

"A price?"

Bill pulled one hand from Dipper's shoulder before beginning to twine his fingers through Dipper's chestnut hair. "Surely even you know that nothing in this world is free. Even a beautiful boy like you can't just be handed things. No, I need something from you first."

Dipper wrinkled his nose.

"Oh, don't give me that look. Just keep giving me more and I'll give you all that you want in return." He smiled. "It will be a wonderful deal for both of us; you just don't see it yet."

Dipper scowled. "As if."

"Fine," Bill replied. "Deal with your ignorance."

The room vanished, the walls fading into nothing. The floor fell from beneath them, there one moment and empty air there the next.

"See where that gets you, Pine Tree."

Dipper's eyes widened, but again he did not scream. He almost looked as if he were about to, though, once Bill let go of him and watched him fall. From above, he floated over the blackness and watched the other fall. For a long time, he waited for a sound, for a scream, a cry, a thud, anything.

Bill sighed, breaking the silence. It seemed he would have to keep trying. Yet no matter what the cost was, no matter what he had to do, he would win. This was his game, after all.

Dipper could play around. Maybe it would give him a chance to realize that his rebellion was hopeless. He could try and fight it all that he liked; eventually, he would see the truth and realize that he and Bill belonged together.

Whatever happened to him along the way, well that could be dealt with later. After this, they would have all eternity to set things right.

Until then, Bill had other players to check up on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll be seeing more of Coraline and Wybie in the next chapter, and maybe even a little bit of Norman and Selma.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps this was how Alice had felt when she fell down the rabbit hole.

The floor was there one moment and gone the next. Dipper's heart pounded against his chest and he grabbed his hat, fearing that it would fly away. Right then, he needed every part of him, a reminder of who he was in this monstrous world.

Bill's world.

Perhaps this was how Alice had felt when she fell down the rabbit hole. If this place was anything like Wonderland, then it could only get worse from there, and it wouldn't be quite as charming as one of his favorite childhood story's worlds had been.

The world around him was black, blacker than the darkest night and blacker than the (not really) bottomless pit had been. Darkness enveloped him on all sides. Try as he might to squint out into the darkness, he couldn't make out anything, not even himself. Had he not frantically begun to touch himself, to grab at his skin and clothes, then Dipper might have forgotten that he was there.

This place was weird enough already. He didn't need to be forgetting that he was there.

He truly was. This was no wacky dream nor a trip. Whatever this was, it was real.

The world seemed to fall down into oblivion. Darkness was all that was above him and all that was below him. Unlike the last seemingly dark and bottomless pit that he had been in a few years before, this one was empty save for him. There were no playing cards or old boxes of his sister's love letters from Lil' Gideon. Save for him, there was nothing.

Great, Dipper thought.

He had been falling for what he guessed to have been at least ten minutes. Only a short time before he had been so close enough to finally getting answers out of Bill. Answers that could have explained just what this place was, who Bill was, and why Dipper was there. That would have helped a lot.

Could he even explain this? Dipper thought.

Dipper shook his head. He had to have been able to; Bill had caused this after all.

Bill had promised him hints and answers in return for... For what? Bill had never actually specified and Dipper hadn't bothered to get him to clarify.

What would he even want from me? Dipper thought. What would I really have to offer him?

For the longest time, he fell, his feet thrashing through the air as if reaching out for footholds he could not see.

-

"I've been expecting you two," Jill said, tilting her neck back. It made a satisfying snap as she moved it. That door had been even smaller smaller and tighter than it had originally looked. She stepped forward across the room, her one eye locking with the blue haired girl's cold eyes.

"Who," the dark skinned boy sputtered, "who the hell are you?"

Jill chuckled. There were quite a few answers to that.

"I think that your friend here already knows." Jill laughed. Turning back towards the girl, she cocked her head and then held a hand up over her eye. "I'm winking if you can't tell."

The girl merely grunted. "Wybie, she's not the beldam that I told you about."

"Then who is she?" The boy's voice shook. "And Jonesy, I thought that you had been joking. I saw that freaky hand and always thought that doll I gave you was a little bit creepy looking, but I had never seen something quite like... Well, like her!"

"I'll take that as a compliment." Jill shot him a smile. "I do believe that I am a quite unique individual."

The girl, Caroline was it? Bill had made a number of comments on her, said to be careful around her.

"She's a bit more competent than most of the others at the party," Bill had said. "She's clever, so you might need to match wits with her."

Match wits? Jill had almost laughed then and she nearly did again. With the way the girl was glaring at her, it looked as if she were focusing all her mental will power on looking angry. How would she even have time to think?

"You aren't my Other Mother." The girl stood up a bit straighter than before. Her eyes had hardened, her mouth closed once again. The fear from before had melted away, the shock vanishing in moments. "You look and sound nothing like her. If you think that you can scare me, then you're wrong."

"You looked pretty terrified a few moments before." Jill shrugged. Stepping forward, she swerved past the girl and walked back towards the boy. At least he still looked afraid, his arms held close together, mouth hanging open, and his eyes wide. She smiled at him, a toothy grin that was so wide he could surely see her gums, and his brown skin paled.

"Wybie, she's not the beldam!"

Jill sneered. "Do you honestly think that means that I can't hurt you two?" She pushed her hair back.

The boy yelped, jumping nearly a foot in the air.

The girl turned quiet.

I thought so, Jill thought. She smirked over at the girl and then pushed her bangs back down.

"If it makes you feel any better," Jill said, gesturing away from herself, "I didn't come here to hurt you two."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "And I'm supposed to believe you?"

"There are other things in here that can hurt you. Why waste my breath and energy when they can do it for me?"

The floor creaked and a heater whined. She doubted that either of the humans were even breathing.

Jill gestured towards the door. "I can assure you that the only way out is through that. If either of you want to find the rest of your friends, then I suggest that you two get moving."

"What?" the boy asked.

"Must I repeat myself?" Jill shook her head. "I hardly have the time." She rubbed at her eye. Fake or not, that button was a real pain. Getting into part for a character could be such a tough job. "I do believe that I have explained myself well enough."

-

Why was he here? Dipper thought. What was going on? Was Bill just unable to give straight answers? Would he do so if Dipper promised to do something for him in return? Did he even want to know what that was?

Dipper sighed. The hole was endless, and he had just as infinite of a list of questions to ask. Time had to be passed somehow.

\- 

"Jonesy?" Wybie asked. A shiver ran up his spine. The lady, whoever she was, had been there in the room one moment and then vanished the next. Now, there was hardly any sign that she had ever been in the room at all. "What just happened to us?"

"How should I know?" Coraline's arms were still crossed over her chest, though her hands seemed to be reaching up towards her shoulders.

Wybie's eyes wondered around the room. It had been years since he had been inside of the Pink Palace, not since his grandmother had sold it and the two had moved further into central Oregon. To think, she had hoped that moving away from the place would allow her and Wybie to live peacefully.

Well, that's one less party that she needs to know about, Wybie thought.

"I just thought..." Wybie again before stopping himself. "I just figured that you might know what was going on here."

Coraline snorted. "As if. Did you have any idea what that lady was talking about? She just kept spewing one sentence out after the other near the end. What is she making us do?"

"I wish that I knew." Wybie's eyes wondered around the living room once more. The place was smaller than it had seemed before, perhaps because there was nothing inside to decorate the place. It was dreary and alone, a place that seemed to have no past and no future, a room built and then just as quickly forgotten and left to collect dust.

"She stopped making sense near the end." Coraline sighed and shook her head. "At least the beldam gave hints."

Wybie opened his mouth to reply but then just as quickly closed it again. He looked down to his shoes and placed his hands in his pockets. Though his old sneakers were hardly the type of things worth looking at, there was at least a chance that looking below could give him some sort of idea. Didn't some famous people go through the same process whenever they kept to themselves? Ideas must not have been very social creatures.

-

Coraline stared at the small door. She was older now, closer to being an adult than a child (in the legal sense - she much preferred the idea of being a little girl than a future college student), and hardly the same size that she had been when she was nine.

Even when all had been said and done, when she had escaped the beldam's clutches, she couldn't have helped but wish that she hadn't met the Other Mother. Though she had saved her parents and her children, part of her had wished that she had never bothered to open the door in the first place.

Things would have been different had she never met that witch.

Coraline got down on her knees and looked at the door. There wasn't a key inside and it was no longer open. The wood was closed, blocking whatever lay beyond it.

"Jonesy, what are we going to do?" Wybie repeated. "Either we got transported across Oregon or, or... Or that lady did something! Or we've been kidnapped! Something bad happened, okay?"

Coraline bit her lip. A lump formed in her throat. She didn't reply to Wybie, nor did she move her eyes away from the door.

She had no reason to trust the woman, not at all. She was unreal, her body wrong in proportions, more like a sick drawing or idea of a person than an actual person.

She never did claim to be human, Coraline thought. No masks, no shows, no promises of presents or goodies, not like the Other Mother. At least she was honest and upfront about just who she was.

Coraline bit her lip. Did that really make it any better?

"Wybie," Coraline said.

"What?"

"I know what we have to do." Coraline looked down to the ground. The key, made of shiny black metal with a button design on the end, lay on the floor. It couldn't have been the real key, or at least she hoped that it wasn't. The real key should have been rusting at the bottom of the old well, forever lost to the world above. A lump formed in her throat. "And you're going to absolutely hate me for it."

-

"At least," Mabel said, gesturing around the four girls, "we're all together."

"I don't know how Grenda and I even got separated." Candy said, moving closer towards the larger girl. "For a while, I was scared that I would never see her again."

"Hey," Pacifica said, placing a protective and warm arm around Mabel's waist, "I would be scared too."

"And if we're together," Mabel continued, "then we should do better. We can all work together to figure out how we can get out of here."

"I still don't know how we got here in the first place." Candy pulled her glasses from her head and began to rub at them with her shirt sleeve. "It's so strange."

"I know," Mabel said. "It is. But since we're still here, we might as well all work together to get out."

"How?" Grenda asked.

"Let's all think about it," Mabel said. At least thinking would give them more time to stand around rather than move forward. "Surely if we all work together we can figure something out."

"It's worth a try," Pacifica said, tightening her hold on Mabel's waist.

-

No journal, no ground, no clues. How had Dipper managed to get into this mess?

The game store, Dipper thought. Of course I had to go into that ridiculous game store.

Dipper sighed. His diary was still clutched in one hand, the other around his hat. The oblivion continued to fall on into forever.

If this is a game, Dipper thought, then it isn't very fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can no longer promise weekly updates (as you all have probably already guessed). However, this story is by no means abandoned and I will keep updating it whenever I can.


	10. Chapter 10

Humans were such peculiar creatures. Though the world had long existed without them, Bill could not remember a time as interesting as when they were around. There was just no creature like humans, none else who were driven only by mere animal instinct. No, humans had other forces controlling them, emotions that fueled their very being, and ideas and that kept them moving forward.

In a way, they were the closest creatures that Bill had ever found to him. Yet for all the emotions they carried, none had the power he did. A flick of their fingers neither could shake the earth nor strike fear in anyone's hearts. Dreams were mysteries to them, and they could only delve so deeply into their minds.

The humans were a constricted people, just on the edge of discovery yet forever powerless to gain their full potential.

At least most of them were.

A few, Bill had to question.

He had been watching the boy for a few years. He was a foolish young lad, driven by desire and an old red book.

I thought humans got smart and burnt that thing years ago, Bill thought, watching from the shadows. If he moved any closer, he feared detection; though Bill could hide himself from the human eye, a perceptive boy such as this could still easily notice him.

Bill's single eye widened, taking in the brown haired boy. He was on the thin side, with chocolate colored hair that flopped down his forehead and down his neck. There was a greasiness to his face, puberty having turned his formerly soft features sharp and covering his skin in a sea of pimples. Yet his eyes had not lost their great electric spark, nor did his hands ever slow while flipping pages. His curiosity had only increased since the day that Bill had first spotted him.

Part of the demon had almost hoped that the boy would realize what danger he was in. Gravity Falls wasn't a safe place; there was just no way to sugarcoat that fact. Yet there was also something tantalizing about the place as well, as if a siren's song beckoned the curious to explore the town's hidden depths.

Most were strong enough to ignore the song, and if not they could at least call upon their local society to help them forget about it.

This boy was not like most.

Dipper Pines, Bill thought. You're going to get yourself killed one day.

The boy continued flipping through pages, his eyes never slowing their constant movement or losing their intensity.

Oh little boy, Bill thought. Aren't you too old to believe in monsters?

The boy just kept on reading.

Humans were peculiar creatures.

Bill might have found himself the most peculiar one of all.

-

When the oblivion finally ended, Dipper found himself in darkness. There were no games, no elaborate decorations, no smoke and mirrors. Just darkness all around him and the feeling of something solid, though whether it was ground or not Dipper could not actually tell, beneath his feet. His hat was on his head and he had all his body parts; Dipper continually rubbed at his skin, checking to see if anything was there.

Perhaps this was how ghosts felt like. Lost, alone, unable to see even themselves.

If Bill wants to play hide and seek, Dipper thought, then maybe he'll have a hard time finding me.

Maybe - after all, he was the reason that Dipper was in this whole mess anyway.

Though the feeling of falling had vanished, the darkness had not. Each step was careful, the next one more precise than the last. At any moment Dipper could be falling again.

Dipper put a hand against his chest, feeling the soft fabric of his shirt. Just the thought of it falling again made his stomach twist.

Is this what Bill wanted? To trap him in darkness and leave him to wonder alone, aimlessly searching for something that he could not find? Maybe he wanted to find a door of some kind, a chamber leading the way out. But what if he found Mabel and the others instead? No, that wasn't as good as it seemed. It was bad enough that he was down there, his hands held out and scraping against the blackness. He didn't need his sister and friends wondering around aimlessly, lost and alone, searching for something that they could never even dream of finding.

"Hey, Bill!" Dipper shouted. He turned around and around in the darkness, repeating his original words until he was sure he had yelled into every corner of the darkness. "Games are supposed to have rules and meaning! Tell me what's going on!"

Dipper stood still, fists clenched and eyes wondering everywhere, as if the monster would actually be visible in the pitch blackness. He probably would considering the damn guy always seemed to want to make himself noticed.

"Hey, Bill!" Dipper repeated. "You said that you want to play with me! Why don't you come out and show me how it's done?"

Silence.

No light appeared in the darkness, nothing shifted the heavy blanket of blackness.

"Bill, I know that you can hear me!" Dipper's throat was raw, his voice seeming to be everywhere yet barely leaving his throat at all. He clenched his fists tighter. "Games aren't fun when you play them alone!"

Again, no reply came, whether from Bill or from anyone else.

"Mabel? Pacifica? Norman? Wendy?" Dipper ran frantically, no longer caring if he fell. If he fell again, maybe he could finally get somewhere. "Soos? Anyone? Is anyone here?"

His heart was racing, beating faster and faster against against his chest. At any moment, it threatened to rip through his rib cage.

Sweat poured down Dipper's face. He scampered through the darkness, wet and wheezing.

"Someone!"

His voice did not echo. When he was done speaking, his words vanished, almost as if he had never spoken them at all.

There was no other sound. Whatever Dipper's feet was touching didn't seem to make a clacking noise of any kind. Other than the feeling of something solid beneath him, there was nothing to pinpoint just what Dipper was standing on.

He turned, moving from one direction to the next. If he could just find a way out then maybe he could at least fight Bill. If not, Bill would have to show himself eventually.

He had to.

"Bill! Bill!" Dipper shrieked. "Bill!"

He never thought that he would be happy to see the demon. And he wouldn't, not by any means. Still, seeing him would be better than simply running around, alone and unsure through the endless darkness that Bill had left him in.

"Bill!" Dipper parroted for what felt like the thousandth time. "Bill!"

There used to be rational answers. Here?

He doubted Bill knew what the word "rational" meant.

"Bill!" Dipper could barely get more than a whisper out.

-

"Jonesy, do you want to lose your eyes? Get yourself killed?" From the corner of her eyes, Coraline watched Wybie throw his hands into the air. Beyond that, he did not move forward, as if his feet were glued to the floor.

Now that she was actually through the door, which was all the more smaller and more cramped than it was before (as if it were nothing but an old sock, tight to the skin but the same as it ever was when first worn), she didn't need him trying to stop her. Right then, it was hard enough to keep herself moving forward.

Before the Jones family had moved further up north in Oregon, they had lived a while longer in The Pink Palace. It had been a nice building, holding both an antique charm and lively atmosphere. The inhabitants were certainly interesting, giving the house a life that the Other Mother never could have tried to create or match.

Whoever that monster girl was, she was not The Other Mother. That didn't make her any less dangerous, but at least she was not actually the beldam. Coraline knew her all too well.

"Jonesy, this is ridiculous! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm doing the only thing that I can," Coraline replied, moving further inside. The blue entrance seemed to glow from an unknown light source; years before, she had never questioned it. Now, she could only wonder just what kept the place lit.

This isn't the real place, Coraline told herself. It can't be. Whatever this place is, it's at least not the real thing.

Coraline bit her lip. Just as she had known the beldam, she had also known The Pink Palace, and this was not it. It was a good copy, but it was not the real thing.

You killed a witch when you were nine, Coraline reminded herself. Do something with your life this year besides getting A's on your report card.

She moved faster, until her feet were out of the room and fully in the entry way. Ahead, the small door sat, waiting once again to be opened. There were no rats this time, the entry empty except for Coraline herself.

"Jonesy, why are you doing this?" Wybie shrieked.

"It's the only thing that I can do." She moved faster, ignoring the squeeze and focusing on the door. If she could just get to it and open it...

Well, then she would just have to face whatever lay beyond it.

-

Norman blinked, once, twice, and then so many times that he could barely tell when his eyes were open or when they were closed. When he finally opened them again, Massachusetts hung before him. The sky was slowly darkening and a chill wind sent shivers up his spine and goosebumps up his arms.

His clothes, the same that he had worn at the party, were too thin for something like this. He bit his lips.

"Norman?"

Norman turned his head. "Salma? What happened?"

She rubbed her head. "I know you always want me to help you with your homework, but I don't always have the answer to everything."

Perhaps, if things still made sense, then Norman would laugh. Salma's tone was as dry as ever, dead set and as cold as the breeze.

"Are you getting a sense of deja vu?" Norman asked.

"I'm getting a sense that something is wrong." Salma picked herself up from the ground and began to wipe herself off. Behind her thick rimmed glasses, her eyebrows lowered. Her nose wrinkled. "Norman, how did we get here?"

Norman didn't reply. For a moment longer, he lay on the hard concrete and stared at the sky. There was something about this place, the slightly cloudy sky, the cold breeze.... This wasn't just any ordinary fall night in Blythe Hollow.

"We couldn't have just been teleported halfway across the country. That's impossible; things like that don't just happen."

You said the same thing a few years ago about ghosts, Norman thought, but refrained from commenting. He had bigger problems to deal with.

He sat up, looking around. Everything was the same as it had been before the centuries old textile factory shut down, before most of the citizens who didn't make a living selling tacky witch memorabilia scattered across the country.

And yet...

The town had to have changed in some ways. People had gathered together, pushed for change to get new jobs. There at least should have been signs of some sort of new construction, even for just a small project.

Norman pulled himself up and stood on weary, shaking legs. A lump was forming in his throat and a tightness in his stomach. It didn't take a genius like Salma to figure out that something was wrong, but still...

Salma's sudden loud gasp nearly made Norman jump.

"Norman, you need to come see this."

Norman didn't turn for a moment, unsure of what to do. His eyes could only watch the sky, his vision filling with an all too familiar green lightning.

"Norman!" Salma repeated, her voice even louder than before.

When he saw the paper in her hand, a flyer that was dated from years before, his stomach tightened.

Green lighting could be explained - couldn't it? A natural phenomenon?

Waking up in the east side when only hours before the two were in the west side? There was probably a reason somewhere.

Blythe Hollow keeping ancient flyers? No way.

The lightning only grew more fierce, flashing against the sky and for a moment turning Norman's vision into a world of bright green. Then it was gone, leaving Norman with his head turned towards the sky and a continuous echo of thunder in his ears.

-

Dipper had never thought that he would be so happy to see Bill.

-

There were no ghosts anywhere on the streets, at least from what Norman had seen. He and Salma had been searching for what felt like hours and neither could find anyone. His legs ached and heart beat a little too fast in his chest.

"This shouldn't be happening," Salma said for what felt like the thousandth time.

The clouds above had turned a heavy green.

He supposed they both knew what was coming next. They had landed on a certain date in the past, one that Norman knew he would never fully forget (as much as he sometimes hoped otherwise).

This was the night that had given him new friends and closer family bonds.

This was the night that had kept him awake for weeks on end.

This was the night that the town finally learned to appreciate him.

This was the night that he nearly lost his life multiple times.

This was the night that made the bullying at school stop.

This was the night that Agitha had seen through him and her, the night where he looked into a mirror's face.

The night where she had offered him her help, her companionship in a world that seemed determined to give him neither - the night that he had nearly said yes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Bill and his backstory will be added in later chapters.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now that it's summer I'm going to try and update more often.
> 
> Emphasis on try.

With the other party guests gone, save for the one sleeping beside her, the room had gone silent. Wendy rubbed at her head, absently looking through the room. Where had everyone gone?

She blinked a few times, looking towards the window. It was dark outside, but she couldn't tell if it was the darkness of a stormy day or the deep dark of night. Time seemed to have stilled since the others left, and Wendy's awakening as having finally turned the clock back on.

They really cleaned up, Wendy thought. The floor was impeccably clean, free of cheese puffs and discarded plastic cups. There wasn't even a piece of confetti in sight, which was rather surprising considering Mabel practically sweat tiny pieces of colorful paper. Where hand made decorations and signs had been were blank wooden walls. There weren't any discarded socks or shoes either, nor even any game boards.

It was almost as if the others had ever been in the room at all.

But that's ridiculous, Wendy thought as she sat up. She turned towards Soos, her mouth half open, but then shut it. He looked to be sleeping just fine, curled up into a tight ball.

They wouldn't have ditched them, would they? It wasn't like they were old; whatever reckless activities the group was probably doing, Wendy and Soos could gladly join in. Though she may not have known everyone - she had never seen the kid in the red hoodie or the blue haired girl since she had come back from college - she was sure they would have liked her.

Wendy's sigh, heavy and deep, filled the room. It broke the thick silence, like a rag that finally broke a growing layer of dust.

The only reply she got was the creaking of boards from upstairs. Too thin to be footsteps - nothing but the shack settling in on itself.

They couldn't have cleaned up everything while I was gone, Wendy thought. I would have heard them.

Soos, she knew, could sleep through anything. Though she herself didn't wake at every tiny noise, she surely would have at least awoken to footsteps all around her or the sound of a vacuum cleaner.

Soos didn't even stir at the noise.

That game really must have been boring, Wendy thought as she slowly stood up. Her legs felt as though they had been filled with sand - that, or she had been sleeping longer than she thought.

And how could I? Wendy thought. The wood had felt like hell, digging into her back and neck. It was amazing that she'd managed to fall asleep at all.

They'd played that game last night, the one in that weird box. Her last memory was reciting some words after coloring some paper.

It definitely doesn't seem exciting now, Wendy thought again. Her head swerved around the room again, half expecting one of the others to jump out at her. But no one else appeared, and she didn't hear even the slightest giggle.

Wendy bit her lip. She had always been one to speak her mind, so why be silent now? If Soos could sleep through everyone cleaning up and leaving, then surely he could handle her saying something.

"Look, if you guys are trying to play some kind of joke-"

"Wendy!"

Wendy jumped a few feet in the air and Soos sat straight up, eyes wide.

"What the heck is going on here?" Stan asked. He stood by the door, all dressed for work (including his fez), and holding some envelopes. "Wendy? Soos?"

"Hey, Mister Pines!" A large grin spread across Soos's face and he waved to the older man. Even though he hadn't been awake thirty seconds, the guy was already cheery.

How does he do it? Wendy thought.

She straightened her back and waved at Stan as well. "Hey, Stan! Have you seen Mabel or Dipper?"

"Why are you two worried about them?" Stan asked, his voice rising. He waved his hand absently around the room. "What matters right now is work, not to mention your lack of doing it. It's one thing to goof off, and another thing for me to find you guys sprawled on the floor of my living room. Sweet Moses, you kids really are weird."

Soos shot up and began to dust himself off. "My apologies, Mister Pines. What do you need me to do?" His smile only widened, as if he wanted to show off every tooth in his mouth.

Stan cocked his thumb upstairs. "Go grab your tool kit from upstairs and then go to the outhouse outside. Someone caused a few problems there, and I am not going to listen to another person whine about the Shack having no indoor plumbing for customers."

"Sir, yes sir!" Soos quickly scuttled away.

Stan turned back towards her, though his eyes were only half on Wendy. His gaze was focused mostly on the envelopes, which he was flipping through again and again.

"Uh, Stan," Wendy said. "Are you okay?"

Stan looked straight at her, his gaze hardening. "How can I be when you're slacking off? Do you think that the cash register works itself?"

"But Stan, I don't work for you-"

If looks could kill then Wendy's heart would have stopped the moment Stan's eyes again fell on her. "Didn't I make it clear enough? Get to work right now!"

Only minutes before, the room had been almost totally silent. Now, the very walls echoed Stan's cries.

Wordlessly, he turned away, his hands still filled with envelopes.

What? Wendy thought. He knew she was gone. It was hard to work for him when her college was miles away, and he had actually thrown a small party for her before she left. Admittedly, the decorations had been dollar store quality (and used ones at that) and everyone only got one cupcake, but he had definitely seen her go.

Maybe it's just an old man thing, Wendy thought.

Yet his memory had seemed to stay sharp through his old age. In only a few years he would be one hundred, yet he still walked around (with his cane) as if he were only seventy.

Can't you just yell at some kids to get off your lawn? Wendy thought. Or bully some tourists into buying your overpriced and tacky souvenirs?

With a sigh, Wendy turned towards the stairs. Maybe Soos would go looking for the others with her, and if Stan caught them and asked what they were doing, she could claim that he'd asked for her help on something.

If I really am working for him again, Wendy thought as she moved up the stairs, her hand on the rail, then I better be getting a paycheck too.

-

Suddenly, Dipper was preferring the darkness. Though, for the most part, the place was still shadowy, Bill seemed to have an eerie light of his own radiating from his body. It was a dark yellow, mostly coming near his eyes and the tips of his hair. As little light as there was, it was enough for Dipper's eyes to finally adjust and make out the area he was in. What had once seemed like an endless pit was just a room - a very, very large room. Mirrors lined it, and for the most part the place seemed empty. Still, it wouldn't have surprised him if there was furniture somewhere inside.

Bill's back was leaned absently against the wall, his fingers absently running through his shaggy yellow hair. His one eye was locked tightly on Dipper, and was as steady as the wide grin spread across his face.

Those teeth sure looked sharp.

Dipper tightened his fists. He hadn't called on Bill to worry about his teeth or his smile - the smile that a cat made whenever it cornered a mouse. What he needed was information, something that the journal couldn't provide him now (and, he wondered, even if he did have it, would it even help?), and Bill was the only guy who could give it to him.

Not the broker I want, Dipper reminded himself, but all that I have.

"You called?"

Dipper merely scowled back at him. "Look, you told me that we're playing some sort of game and just what..." He paused for a moment. "Or rather, who the prize is." His voice was lower than usual and scratchy. Did water exist here? Would he want to drink water from this nightmarish place? For all he knew it would be Bill's equivalent to six pomegranate seeds.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm glad to know that you've thought things over."

"Just tell me the rules!" His voice rose (just how even he didn't know), sending a sharp stab of pain down his throat.

Bill merely smirked at Dipper's outburst. "I thought you didn't care about rules."

Dipper's glare tightened.

"I mean," Bill said, waving his pale hand around, "when have you ever cared for rules? You never listen to your great uncle or your parents, and ignore teachers whenever you can get away with it without hurting your grades. You make your sister do your chores because you're too busy studying or on your computer. When your uncle tried to stop you from messing with the supernatural, you outright ignored him, even when you knew just how dangerous it was." His tone had dropped near the end. "Even now, when you aren't just a gullible little kid, you've still lived through what must be a world record of near death experiences."

"You shouldn't-"

"Shouldn't what?" Bill stepped closer, the light growing bright and flickering, almost as if it were fire. "Shouldn't know about that? It's pretty hard considering you advertised it to the whole town. Supernatural creatures noticed you because you wouldn't leave them alone, wouldn't look away. You were a walking sign to get noticed. So why wouldn't I notice you too?" He pointed a finger out, the nail of which suddenly looked as sharp as his teeth. "Whatever you think of me, just know that I don't give my protection to anybody. If you think luck is what kept you alive for so long, then you're wrong. You have me to thank for your life, for a lot of things."

Dipper opened his mouth to reply, but shut it again.

My throat hurts, he reminded himself. And while it was true, it wasn't the only reason he had.

"So how about you make it up to me by playing this game?" His grin returned, but Dipper couldn't return it. "I know we'll have lots of fun."

His next motion was quick, his arms moving so fast that they blurred in the dim yellow light. The only real recognition Dipper got was the pain, fast and hot, as it seared over his forehead and he fell. Bill certainly was stronger than he looked.

With what little strength he had, Dipper reached his arms out, struggling to find something, anything, to hold onto. But he wasn't fast enough.

The last thing he saw before his head hit the floor was Bill, still smiling that sharp toothed grin.

-

Bill sighed. If it was rules that he had wanted, then he would have given them. There had been none in the beginning, but he supposed strings could be pulled if Dipper wanted them.

Though that too came with a price. Bill sighed before reverting to his true form. There was only so much time that he could take resembling a human, and it was getting rather tiring. He had hoped that his human form would entice the boy, but he merely scowled at it. Bill's body could change into the most aesthetically pleasing body to ever grace humans and he would still scowl at him.

Their last few interactions, he feared, were going to be much the same. Yelling and getting nowhere - Dipper furious and Bill ready to give him what he wanted, if only he could get something in return.

Bill floated forward. There was still a game to get to; the night was only so long, and there was no point in wasting all his time on Dipper.

There would be time to work out their problems in the future.

All the time in the world.

-

"How much of this did you see?" Norman asked, turning his eyes towards Salma. The two stood behind a building, bodies hidden in the shadows. There was noise everywhere, from the breaking of glass around them to the cries of an angry mob that was growing closer and closer, along with the crackling of thunder that came with the neon green lighting.

"What do you mean?" Salma asked. She reached up and quickly pushed her glasses up her nose before crossing her arms over her chest. Her teeth chattered.

"Weren't you in the room for most of it?"

"Did you really think that I could completely hide from this? I was home, but I saw the world shifting outside my window. I almost thought it was a hurricane until I checked the weather report on her laptop." Her frown deepened. "It wasn't until you and Neil called and told me about the witch, as ridiculous as that sounded, that I actually had an idea of what was going on. And while I may have been lucky enough to be inside my house with four walls to protect me, my parents weren't so lucky."

Norman's face paled. "Your parents were out there?"

Salma nodded. "They're good people, but they can get pretty angry given the chance."

Norman shivered, and not just because of the autumn cold. He could still remember those fingers pointing at him, the dark eyes of the mob looking directly at him. They'd had pitchforks and torches, guns and knives, and pure hatred directly pointed at him.

There were always the "what-ifs", the questions that remained in his mind. What if things had been different? What if they had gotten sick of the ghost boy and gotten rid of him by any means necessary?

What if they had done the same thing to him as they had to Agitha?

The town hadn't blamed him, or at least if they did they hadn't admitted it. Yet whether their apologies and forgiveness came or not, there had still been a reason to come to Oregon.

"You know how we agreed to come check this place out because you found about it having supernatural occurrences on the internet?" Norman asked.

"What do you mean?" Salma raised an eyebrow.

"You know, Gravity Falls," Norman repeated. "That's where we were before we woke up here."

"Yeah?"

"Well, I think we found more than just a simple small town haunting."

Norman closed his eyes, squeezing them tightly shut.

There's no place like home, he thought, trying to remember the peaceful streets of his New England town. Before he and his friend had taken their unofficial road trip, he had at least been excited to leave the place.

Now? Now it was hard to believe that anywhere was really safe.

Still, at least things could be explained back in Blythe Hollow. Things made sense.

There's no place like home, Norman repeated. The phrase echoed through his mind, like a broken record that kept scratching out the same words over and over.

But you are home, a little voice in his head broke in, breaking through the repetition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is still enjoying this fic.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are always appreciated!


End file.
